


Cry of the Wolf-ON HIATUS

by ElvisRose



Series: Bad Moon Rising [1]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Fluff and Angst, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pre-Slash, Werewolf Stiles Stilinski, Working title, stiles and allison are bros
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-11-24
Updated: 2015-12-11
Packaged: 2018-02-26 20:48:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 28,856
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2665859
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElvisRose/pseuds/ElvisRose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Awkward teenager, Stiles Stilinski, is attacked by a werewolf and inherits the curse itself, as well as the enemies that come with it.</p><p>This work is being rewritten.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Wolf Moon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stikes Stilinski is bitten by a werewolf during a search for a missing body and gains special powers.

Okay, so wandering around the woods in search of a dead body? Not one of Stiles’ best plans. In his defense…he hadn’t really been thinking when he hauled Scott off into the timbers. Stiles mentally berated himself. Now his dad was dragging Scott off, because Scott was a terrible liar, and he was going to see Stiles’ jeep and know he was out here and Stiles was so royally fucked. Stiles groaned and kicked at some more dead leaves in frustration. 

Scott had come up with some very valid questions, questions that Stiles had skipped right over in his eagerness to find the body. He didn’t know which half he was looking for, and he certainly hoped that the murderer wasn’t still out here waiting for more helpless victims.

Not that Stiles thought of himself as helpless…except that yeah he kinda did. He knew girls with more weight and muscle than him.

_Not that there was anything wrong with that!_

And, to make things worse, it was raining! Well…drizzling but you get his point.

Stiles glared up at the overcast sky and grumbled to himself, trudging through more soggy leaves. He sighed but soon perked up when his phone buzzed shrilly in his pocket. He pulled it out to see that he had a new text from Scott. Just as he thumbed the lock screen open he froze, realizing something.

It was completely silent. 

Even the search dogs were quiet. 

That couldn’t be good. Stiles gulped, looking up and peering cautiously into the darkness as he heard strange noises coming towards him.

“Shit!” He swore as a large deer jumped out through the gloomy fog and rushed past him, close enough that he could feel the heat from its body as it darted past him. Stiles fumbled backwards and clung to the nearest tree, phone going flying as more deer stampeded through the night. Their hooves clattered loudly on the forest floor and their breath made white clouds in the damp air, the noise of them startling compared to silence of moments before. Stiles’ heart thudded painfully in his chest as the herd thundered through.

He stayed clinging to the tree for several moments after they had passed, not daring to move in case there were any stragglers. He doubted there were; whatever it was that spooked the deer had probably gotten at least one of the slow ones, but it never hurt to be careful. His ears were ringing from the sudden silence and he felt as though everyone/thing in a ten mile radius could hear his heart pounding against his ribcage. Heart in his throat, Stiles cautiously stepped away from the tree and began to search for his missing phone, hoping it hadn’t been smashed by a wayward hoof. 

Then his dad would really kill him. 

Stiles swallowed down fear and adrenaline and scurried in the direction his phone had sailed. He pressed the button on his batman watch to make it glow in the dark, trying to use the meager light to find the missing mobile. As he approached a decline in the terrain he began to fear that he’d never find the damn thing. Waving his wrist back and forth like a mad man, Stiles searched the ground, practically doubled over as he squinted at the bracken. Just as his heart rate was returning to normal he found what he’d come here searching for: the dead body. 

Her cold, lifeless eyes reflected ominously in the unnatural glow of his watch and Stiles swore, fumbling backwards and losing his footing. 

He went backwards down the hill, somersaulting painfully through rocks and branches and everything else on the forest floor. When he landed with a muffled thud at the bottom of the hill he let out a pained whimper and lay there, contemplating never getting up.

He was winded and he had bruises forming in places that he didn’t know could bruise. His head was pounding, his neck ached, and his ass throbbed. Stiles groaned and slowly pushed himself to his feet, scowling at the deep scratches on his palms. He probably had some on his face too; everything was way too painful for him to focus on right now. His dad was so going to kill him when Stiles got home. Stiles pushed that thought out of his mind and allowed his adrenaline to mute the pain as he looked around, trying to get his bearings.

Two things occurred to him as he stood in the low ravine. The first being that some predator had scared off those deer and that not only had he foolishly stuck around, he’d lowered himself into a bent over position, practically declaring his defenselessness! The second was that whatever it was that had killed that girl was probably what had scared the deer. That meant it was circling its meal and that Stiles was right in its path.

Stiles flinched when he heard the low growl behind him, confirming his suspicions with eerily good timing.

Stiles, turned slowly, trying to remember all the warnings about wild animals he’d learned growing up. Hold your ground or back away slowly, never run; running will only make it want to chase you, don’t bend over or turn away. Make yourself appear bigger, open your coat and flap it to appear bigger and more threatening, raise your voice and your arms throw things if it approaches. Do NOT break eye contact. 

Fully turned, Stiles found himself making eye contact with a giant wolf. The wolf couldn’t have been more than ten feet away from him. His first the thought was that it was bigger than wolves should be and that it was probably genetically mutated somehow. The second was that there weren’t supposed to be any wolves in California.

That thought quickly vanished as the wolf approached him. All those warnings he’d been telling himself were how do deal with mountain lions or bobcats; he had no fucking clue if they worked with wolves! His mind flickered quickly to a story he heard about a man who made a wolf submit by putting it in a head lock, and another story about a man who choked a wolf. But Stiles was realistic and he knew he couldn’t take this beast on by himself. Especially not one as giant as this beast.

Maybe he could shove his fist down its throat in hopes of suffocating it. But then again, if it had rabies it wouldn’t really matter. Stiles scowled at the approaching wolf, realizing that if it was rabid it would have already killed him by now.

“Scat!” Stiles shouted flapping his arms and coat at it like some giant bird. He tried to further frighten the wolf by cawing at it and making other noises but the wolf just tilted its head and peered at him curiously. He swore that its eyebrow went up in disdain. Did wolves have eyebrows? Stiles hissed and decided that a slow retreat was the best option here.

Unfortunately his next backwards step was straight into a puddle. His foot slipped out from underneath him and he landed hard on his back. The wolf took his moment of vulnerability to attack. Stiles screamed as sharp teeth latched into his side and clamped down. Hard. He felt tears running down his face as he flailed about, only resulting in tearing his skin and muscle more as he tugged on the wolf’s relentless grip. He stilled and breathed heavily through his mouth, hoping to lure the animal into a false sense of security. 

It worked. 

The wolf slowly unlocked its jaw and pulled back, but not before licking at the throbbing wound. Stiles shuddered and whimpered at the pain. The wolf huffed happily, tongue lolling out the side of its mouth. Stiles took his chance and hit the giant beast on its snout as hard as he could.

The monster whimpered as it bit into its own tongue, and backed away in shock. Stiles scrambled up and took off running, all warning against the thought long gone as the instinct for survival took over. He raced through the woods and onto the asphalt nearly colliding with a shiny black car hurtling down the road. The car screeched and swerved around him before speeding away.

“Asshole.” Stiles winced, wishing that the driver had been at least a little concerned with what the hell a teenage boy had been doing in the middle of the road in the middle of the night. He could have used the ride home. Stiles winced again and looked down at his bloody hoody and t-shirt. He gasped as he gently pulled the hem up to look at the damage. The lacerations formed a perfect semi-circle on his stomach, no doubt with a matching one on his back. He scowled at the places that looked more torn than the others, realizing that it was a result of his struggle with the wolf.

A lone howl ripped through the night air and Stiles shuddered before taking off down the road in search of his car.

~~~

Scott was waiting for him when he arrived at school the next morning. Stiles groaned as the jump out of his jeep pulled at the tears on his side. He plastered on a smile and skipped over to meet with his buddy.

“Okay, let's see this thing.” Scott said, already reaching for Stiles’ plaid shirt. Stiles glanced around nervously before pulling up the right side of his t-shirt. 

“Whoa!” Scott winced, looking at the giant bandage Stiles had plastered on his side. Small spots of blood had seeped through, enough that you could tell what injury was underneath the bandage. 

“Yeah. Whoa! I'm pretty sure it was a wolf.” Stiles said wincing as Scott’s thumb grazed the bandage.

“A wolf bit you?” Scott’s eyebrows shot up so high that they disappeared into his mop of hair. He looked awed.

“Yeah but it doesn’t make sense.” Stiles said, lowering his shirts and turning to enter the building, Scott trailing at his side like always.

“Why?” Scott asked, frowning in confusion. 

“Because California doesn't have wolves, okay? Not in like 60 years.” 

“Really?”

“Yes, really. There are no wolves in California!” It sounded more like Stiles was trying to convince himself than Scott. “But I definitely saw it. And I definitely heard it.” He shuddered at the memory of its wild howl.

“Huh.” Scott pursed his lips.

“I found the body.” Stiles said almost as an afterthought. Scott’s whole body jerked and he turned to face him in shock.

“You...are you kidding me?” 

“Nah, man, I wish. I'm gonna have nightmares for a month.” Stiles shuddered, thinking instead of the monster wolf that had attacked him. Scott laughed and punched his shoulder playfully as they continued into the building. Stiles absently noticed Lydia Martin prancing her way into the building in a cloud of perfume. 

“Man, is she ever not going to ignore you?” Scott laughed.

“You’re the cause of this, you know.” Stiles said, pointing a blaming finger at his friend as they walking into English.

“Uh-huh.” Scott laughed, sitting down and pulling out his binder.

“Draggin' me down to your nerd depths. I'm a nerd by association. I've been scarlet-nerded by you.” Stiles said just as the teacher walked in. Stiles smirked at his teacher’s beige knit sweater-vest and pulled out his books. Students began to filter into the class and Stiles internally sighed, already wishing school was over.

“As you all know, there indeed was a body found in the woods last night.” Mr. Jeffries said as he wrote on the whiteboard. “And I am sure your eager little minds are coming up with various macabre scenarios as to what happened. But I am here to tell you that the police have a suspect in custody, which means you can give your undivided attention to the syllabus which is on your desk outlining this semester.” Stiles frowned, not having known about the suspect in custody.

The class groaned and Stiles sighed, looking at the board where Kafka’s Metamorphosis was written in faded dry-erase marker. Why is the marker faded? It’s the first day of school, the markers should be brand new. Stiles’ musing were interrupted as a loud ringing sliced through the air. He flinched, hard, and Scott shot him a worried look. Stiles shrugged and looked around, realizing that the noise was someone’s phone ringing at a deafening pitch.

But no one seemed to be noticing. 

He frowned in confusion as his peers continued to scowl at their syllabi as if nothing was happening. He looked around desperately, searching for answers.

There was a loud beep and then:

“Mom, three calls on my first day is a little overdoing it.” Stiles glanced out the window to see a dark haired girl digging through her bag, phone at her ear. “Everything except a pen. Oh, my God, I didn't actually forget a pen.” Stiles gawked and glanced around again but no one else seemed to be experiencing super hearing. “Okay, okay. I gotta go. Love ya.” Stiles watched in astonishment as the vice-principal approached the girl, and he could hear everything.

“Sorry to keep you waiting.” And yup that was definitely the V.P’s voice. “So you were saying San Francisco isn't where you grew up?”

“No, but we lived there for more than a year, which is unusual in my family.” Stiles watched as they headed into the building. Stiles listened to their conversation as they headed through the halls and straight into his classroom, as luck would have it. Mr. Jeffries and the V.P had a few words and then he was speaking to the class. “Class, this is our new student, Allison Argent. Please do your best to make her feel welcome.” Allison blushed and looked around awkwardly. Stiles flicked an eraser nub at Scott, who he could see was already drooling over the girl. Scott turned to scowl at him.

“Give her a pen.” Stiles whispered and Scott frowned at him in confusion. “Just do it.” Stiles said, smiling brightly at the girl as she approached and sat next to him. Scott turned towards her and handed her his pen wordlessly. She blinked at him in confusion before a wide smile dimpled her face and she took the pen.

“Thanks.” She had the voice of a fairy princess and Stiles could see Scott falling into the pit of no return, otherwise known as love.

“We'll begin with Kafka's Metamorphosis, on page 133.” Mr. Jefferies said, standing up. Stiles groaned along with half the class and opened up his book.

~~~

Stiles sighed at the puppy eyes Scott was giving the new girl whose locker happened to be kiddy-corner to theirs. 

“That jacket is absolutely killer.” Lydia Martin’s voice reached Stile’s ears and he turned to see her talking to Allison. He frowned; he shouldn’t be able to hear them from this distance. “Where'd you get it?”

“My mom was a buyer for a boutique back in San Francisco.” Allison smiled, dimples flashing in the artificial light.

“And you are my new best friend.” Lydia smirked. Allison blinked at her, bemused, as Jackson approached. Stiles rolled his eyes; girls. “Hey, Jackson.” Lydia greeted him and he smiled before they engaged in a game of tonsil hockey. Stiles gagged.

“Can someone tell me how new girl is here all of five minutes, and she's already hanging out with Lydia's clique?” a voice said loudly in his ear. Stiles turned to see his friend Janice standing beside him.

“Because she's hot.” He answered her automatically as Scott stared longingly at Allison. “Beautiful people herd together.” He and Janice continued their conversation, though he could still hear Lydia and the others talking about lacrosse and the party that weekend.

“Well, we have practice in a few minutes. That is, if you don't have anywhere else—” Stiles watched as Lydia and Jackson dragged Allison off to go watch practice. He nudged Scott and they headed off to the locker rooms to change, waving goodbye to Janice.

“If you play I'll have no one to talk to on the bench.” Stiles complained to his friend as he learned of Scott’s plan to actually play. “Are you really gonna do that to your best friend?”

“I can't sit out again. My whole life is sitting on the sidelines.” Scott countered. Stiles frowned; he'd been with Scott his whole life, he didn't feel like his life was on the sidelines. “This season, I make first line.” Stiles pouted as Coach Finstock called Scott onto the field.

“McCall! You're on goal.” Scott blinked at him in shock.

“I've never played.”

“I know; scoring some shots will give the boys a confidence boost.” Coach Finstock smirked. Stiles scowled as an irrational amount of rage surged through him. He wanted to go up there and punch Coach's smug face for that insult. Stiles blinked in shock at the feeling and forcefully shoved it to the side, wondering where the hell it had come from. “It's a first day back thing. Get 'em energized, fired up!” 

“What about me?” Scott asked, watching Jackson nail someone in the back with the ball.

“Try not to take any in the face.” Finstock said condescendingly patting Scott’s face. Stiles snarled lowly before tampering down this random anger. He frowned and tried to figure out what the hell was making him so angry. Maybe he had rabies…

“Let's go! Come on!” After a mishap where he did get hit in the face it turned out that Scott was actually ridiculously good at lacrosse. He caught every shot they threw and may have made a bigger enemy out of Jackson than he'd had before. Stiles felt no small amount of pride for his friend.

~~~

“I don't—I don't know what it was. It was like I had all the time in the world to catch the ball.” Stiles smiled proudly at his friend as they trudged through the woods. Scott went on for another few minutes describing his incredible talents at lacrosse before he decided he wanted to talk about Stiles. “You’ve been acting strange all day.” He said out of the blue and Stiles blinked at him in shock and confusion, completely blindsided by the change in topic. “Don’t lie, dude, you’ve been twitchy all day, and not your normal twitchy!" Stiles sighed, admitting defeat.

“I—I can—hear stuff I shouldn't be able to hear. Smell things.” Stiles began, trying to explain what was going on with his haywire senses.

“Smell things? Like what?” Scott asked dubiously.

“Like the mint-mojito gum in your pocket.

“I don't even have any mint-mojito—” Scott trailed off when he pulled half a stick of gum out of his pocket.

“All this started with a bite…” Stiles mused, heading up an incline in the terrain.

“What if it's like an infection, like, your body's flooding with adrenaline before you go into shock or something?”

“You know what? I actually think I've heard of this—it’s a specific kind of infection.” Stiles said sarcastically, leading the way to the dead girl’s body.

“Are you serious?” Scott’s voice broke in his worry for his friend and Stiles laughed.

“Yeah. Yeah, I think it's called...lycanthropy.”

“What's that? Is that bad?” Stiles smirked.

“Oh, yeah, it's the worst. But only once a month.” Stiles laughed, turning to face his friend.

“Once a month?” Stiles loves Scott like a brother, he really does, but sometimes Scott is too dumb to survive in this world without him.

“Mm-hmm. On the night of the full moon.” Stiles snickered, pretending to howl. Scott huffed and shoved him away, tromping down the path. “Hey it’s possible, I did get bitten by a wolf.” Stiles meant it as a joke but his smile fell and he frowned to himself, wondering if it was really possible.

“There could be something seriously wrong with you, Stiles!” Scott’s voice squawked from up ahead. 

“I know! I’m a werewolf! Rawr!” Stiles laughed before once again wondering if it could be an actual possibility. “If you see me in shop class trying to melt all the silver I can find, it's 'cause Friday's a full moon.” Scott rolled his eyes as they passed the spot where the wolf attacked Stiles. “I could have sworn this was it. The deer and the body. I dropped my phone.”

“Maybe the killer moved the body.” Scott suggested but Stiles frowned in confusion; there wasn’t any blood on the ground. He sniffed the air, curious and smelt the coppery, tangy smell of blood, but it smelt old, faded. So the body was here...but gone now.

“I hope he left my phone” Stiles murmured. An unfamiliar scent hit him and his head jerked up to see a man in black glaring at them. Stiles' foot shot out to warn Scott who turned slowly to glare at the intruder.

“What are you doing here?” The man asked, in a shockingly soft voice, as he approached them. “Huh?” His ridiculously thick eyebrows shot up with the question and Stiles’ heart stuttered in his chest. Interesting. “This is private property.” The man scowled when neither of the boys answered him.

“Uh, sorry, man, we didn't know.” Stiles said weakly, eyeing the stranger. He subtly sniffed again and the man’s eyes flickered to him, eyebrows conveying their disdain. The man looked and smelt vaguely familiar, but Stiles just couldn’t place it.

“Yeah, we were just looking for something, but…um forget it.” Scott mumbled, glaring the man down. Stiles blinked as he realized just who exactly he was looking at. Derek Hale pulled his hand out of his pocket and tossed a phone at Scott. Stiles’ hand shot out and grabbed it before he realized what he was doing. Derek’s eyebrows seemed to convey approval for a split second before he turned and walked away. Stiles didn’t know why but he felt like he’d just passed some kind of test.

“All right, come on, I gotta get to work.” Scott said, watching Derek go.

“Dude, that was Derek Hale. You remember, right? He's only like a few years older than us.” Stiles asked as they walked back through the preserve.

“Remember what?” Scott asked, getting into the jeep.

“His family. They all burned to death in a fire, like, six years ago.”

“I wonder what he's doing back.” Scott mused and Stiles couldn’t help but agree.

~~~

Stiles flopped down in front of his computer and pulled up a few tabs he’d opened the night before about wolves. He sighed and started searching about werewolves instead. It was hard to believe he was considering the possibility that he was a werewolf but right now there didn’t seem like any other option.  
Besides maybe rabies. That would suck.

An hour and a half and later, after reading about wolf bites, he was realizing that he should probably change the dressing on his wound. Scratch that, what he should probably do is go to the hospital and get it stitched up and then tell his dad he got attacked by a wolf.

Yeah. Right.

He sighed and heaved himself over to the bathroom to change the gauze. He whipped his shirt over his head, noticing that it didn’t seem to hurt the lacerations. With his shirt off, he stared at his reflection in the mirror and sighed, wondering what anyone would ever see in him. He was pale and scrawny and dotted in moles from his head to his toes. 

He blinked in shock at his reflection, noticing that his stomach and arms were firmer and the shadows under his eyes were completely gone for the first time in his life. He gaped at his reflection, poking at where there used to dark be bags under his eyes. Now that he thought about it, he hadn’t needed his Adderall at all today and he hadn’t been as hyperactive as usual. Stiles frowned to himself and gently peeled off the gauze only to freeze in shock.

There was no wound.

There was no fucking wound.

“I’m a werewolf.” He gaped as he pulled on his shirt and sat back at his desk, before immersing himself into more research.

~~~

Stiles woke up and froze, peering at his surroundings. He was in the middle of the fucking forest! How the fucking fuck did he get here? He shuddered, rubbing his hands down his bare arms before getting up and trying to find his way back to civilization. He wandered around the woods aimlessly for a while, peering through the mist; he wasn't born with an internal compass; he didn't know where he was. 

After a while Stiles froze, feeling the presence of another pricking at the hairs on his arms. He gulped and turned around, seeing the great big wolf in the distance. His skin ran cold at the sight of the beast.

“Holy fucking fuck.” He cursed before taking off through the trees. He knew now that you weren’t supposed to run from wolves but he was a fucking werewolf and that wolf was coming for him whether he stood still or ran. Stiles whimpered as he heard the wolf chasing him. He booked it up an incline only to smash into someone who hadn’t been there a moment before. A very solid someone.

“Oof.” He grunted, stumbling backwards.

Hands shot out to grab him and Stiles latched onto them before clinging to the person, turning to see if the wolf was still giving chase. The mist had cleared and there was no wolf in sight. He sighed in relief when he realized that it was gone. He smiled and turned back to his savior, hesitating when he realized that the leather jacket in front of him was the same one that Derek Hale had been wearing the day before. He looked up to see the other man glaring into the distance, where the giant wolf had been, eyebrows conveying his displeasure.

“Um…” Stiles stepped back and he was suddenly aware of how very naked he was, clad in only his wonder woman boxers. Derek wordlessly shrugged out of his jacket and handed it to Stiles. Stiles took it, grateful, and tried to cover his nakedness.

“So…you’re the beta.” Derek said, turning and walking away. Stiles had no choice but to follow, stumbling as he shoved his arms into the too big sleeves. “I wasn’t sure if it was you or your little friend.”

“Beta? I'm not a fish!” Stile cried, indignant. Derek snorted and turned to look at him, mouth quirked upwards.

“No, you’re a werewolf.”

“Are you a werewolf?” He asked, running a hand through his short hair. Derek rolled his eyes but nodded anyways. “And I’m a beta…but not a fish…what’s a beta?” Stiles asked, peering at the older man’s impressive and expressive eyebrows.

“There are three types of wolves.” Derek said, casually walking towards who knows where. “The Alpha, whom you’ve met." Stiles shuddered and stumbled. "He’s the only on that can turn people. All other wolves are the betas.” Derek turned to him as they approached the dilapidated remains of the Hale mansion.

“But you said there were three types of werewolves?” Stiles frowned at him, glancing warily at the derelict manor. There was freshly overturned patch of soil of to one side and Stiles’ interest was piqued. 

“The third is an omega.” Derek murmured, wondering how to explain it.

“The lone wolf.” Stiles said, remembering having come across the term in all his research. Derek nodded, pleased. “What are you?” Stiles asked.

“I used to be a beta, I suppose now I’m an omega.” Derek frowned before walking towards the shiny black Camaro sitting in the drive.

“Hey, you’re the asshole who almost ran me over the night I got bit!” Stiles hissed as he followed Derek, recognizing his auspicious car.

“I was looking for Laura.” Derek scowled by way of answer, yanking the door open and turning to Stiles. “Now get in.”

“Who’s Laura?” Stiles asked, obeying the older man and sliding into the passenger seat of the fancy car.

“My sister.”

“Where is she?” Stiles asked, glancing at the house.

“Dead.” Derek grunted, pulling out of the driveway and heading down the gravel road through the forest. “You met half of her the other night.”

“Shit dude.” Stiles whispered in shock. The drive was awkward and tense after that admission. They drove through the outskirts of town in silence. Stiles hummed awkwardly to himself as they entered the more suburban area of Beacon Hills.

“I’ve been trying to figure it out, why you.” Derek said suddenly. “He must have seen something in you that made him think you’d be a good beta." Stiles shrugged awkwardly. "Alphas don’t just hand out the bite like party favors. The bite is a gift.” 

Thankfully they’d pulled up in front of Stiles’ house so he was saved from answering the non-question. He smiled slightly at Derek before rushing out of the car and into his house, thankful that it was still too early for his neighbors to be up, but late enough for his dad to already be gone. He didn’t realize he was still wearing Derek’s jacket until he was in his room and pulling on some jeans, trying to get ready for school.

~~~

“Let's go! Gather round! Bring it in, come on!” Coach Finstock yelled as they circled him on the lacrosse field. “Come on!” Scott had been preoccupied with Allison the whole day, going on and on about how she’d hit a dog with her car and blah, blah, blah. Stiles had really wanted to tell him that he was a werewolf and the Derek Hale was one too yadda yadda but Scott was being selfish and Stiles was never one to crave the limelight anyways.

If he’d doubted Derek’s words about werewolves at all, the phone call he’d had with his dad earlier about wolf hairs on Laura’s body confirmed it. He was a fucking werewolf. And god! Could Coach blow his whistle any louder?!

“Okay. You know how this goes. If you don't make the cut, you're most likely sitting on the bench for the rest of the season.” Coach said pointing mostly to Stiles. Stiles scowled at him, grumpily. “You make the cut, you play. Your parents are proud. Your girlfriend loves ya! Huh? Everything else is cream cheese.” He said the last bit to Scott who blinked at him in confusion. Poor dumb Scott. “Now, get out there and show me whatcha got! Come on!”

Stiles was happy that no one ever passed him the ball anymore. It meant he didn’t really have to play and he wasn’t in the sports mood right now anyways. He winced as he watched Jackson knock Scott onto his back. Scott was human, he didn’t heal, and that had to hurt. After several more practice runs, Scott made first line by some miracle and Stiles irrationally felt jealous. He’d never felt jealous of Scott before. Not really. 

Coach’s whistle made him wince and realize that he was next to be tested. He stood in front of Jackson and he felt something spike inside him. His anger towards the alpha, his jealously towards Scott, his silent admiration for Derek, it combined to make him feel stronger, more powerful. Coach blew his whistle again and Stiles grabbed the ball and booked it down the field, dodging everyone that tried to stop him. Time slowed down and he streaked by like a hot knife through butter. He made the goal, with an impressive flip in there to boot. Scott scoffed at him in shock as everyone cheered and crowed around him.

“Stilinksi! Get over here! What in God's name was that?” Coach yelled as Stiles jogged over to him. Coach was yelling and he sounded angry but Stiles somehow knew that he was amazed and happy and...proud? Stiles whipped off his helmet, trying not to look too self-satisfied. “This is a lacrosse field. What, are you trying out for the gymnastics team?”

“No, Coach.” Stiles said smugly.

“What the hell was that?”

“I just trying to make the shot.” Stiles knew he looked cocky but god dammit he was a werewolf and he could do whatever the fuck he wanted.

“Yeah, well, you made the shot. And guess what? You're startin', buddy. You made first line.” Everyone cheered and crowded around him again. He heard loud cheering and looked at the stands to see Allison and Lydia jumping up and down and cheering. Scott’s gasped incredulously and Stiles turned to him, smirking, and winked. So what if he stole Scott’s glory, he’d feel guilty later, right now was his moment.

~~~

Scott came over expecting some kind of answer for what the hell that was. Stiles had never tried to upstage him before. And even if he had he probably wouldn’t have succeeded. Scott knew he wasn’t as smart as Stiles but he wasn’t as dumb as everyone thought he was. He knew something was up with Stiles and he was going to get answers.

“Okay, just listen.” Stiles said the moment Scott walked into his room. Scott blinked at him before sitting on his bed as Stiles twirled around on his chair for a second.  
“Since when do you have a leather jacket?” Scott asked. Stiles frowned and then looked at the jacket he’d forgotten he was wearing. It was Derek’s jacket. He shrugged before turning one more circle in the chair and then stopping to look at Scott.

“Remember the joke from the other day? Not a joke anymore. The wolf…the bite in the woods. I started doing all this reading. Do you even know why a wolf howls?”

“Should I?” Scott looked skeptical.

“It's a signal, okay? When a wolf's alone, it howls to signal its location to the rest of the pack. I heard a wolf howling, that means others could have been nearby. Maybe even a whole pack of 'em.”

“A whole pack of wolves?”

“No! Werewolves!” Stiles said like it was obvious. Scott stared at him for a moment before blowing up.

“Are you seriously wasting my time with this? You know I'm picking up Allison in an hour!”

“You saw me on the field today, Scott. Okay, what I did wasn't just amazing, all right? It was impossible.”

“Yeah, so you made a good shot.” Scott said childishly. 

“I made a fucking incredible shot! I mean, the way I moved, my speed, my reflexes! Y'know, People can't just suddenly do that overnight. And there's the vision and the senses, and I don't need my Adderall anymore!” Stiles said, trying to share with his best friend how cool this was. 

“Okay! Dude, I can't think about this now. We'll talk tomorrow.” Scott rolled his eyes, getting up and walking towards the door.

“Tomorrow?! What? No! The full moon's tonight!! Don't you get it?” Stiles hissed in worry.

“What are you trying to do? I just made first line and you upstaged me. I got a date with a girl who I can't believe wants to go out with me, and everything in my life is somehow perfect! Why are you trying to ruin it?” Stiles balked.

“Hey!” Stiles cried, indignant. “I’m cursed, Scott. You know, and it's not just that the moon will cause me to physically change. It also just so happens to be when my bloodlust will be at its peak.”

“Bloodlust?” Scott paled.

“I don’t fucking know what to do, Scott!” Stiles cried.

“You’re not a werewolf Stiles!” Scott shouted. “And you’re wasting my time.” He sighed before leaving. Stiles whimpered and dropped into his chair staring forlornly at his hands. His fingernails were aching and his gums burned. He was going to turn and he didn’t know what to do and Scott abandoned him and he was probably going to kill someone. Probably his dad.

“I’m alone.” He whispered to himself before whimpering like a puppy again.

“You’re not alone.” A voice said from his right and a snarl ripped its way out of his throat in shock as he spun around to see Derek Hale climbing through his window. Derek just smirked at him slightly and Stiles sighed. “You’re also wearing my jacket.” Stiles blushed and Derek smirked more.

“I just…it…um….” Stiles stammered.

“It’s okay Stiles. It’s called scenting. I’m the only other werewolf you know so my scent makes you feel safe.” Stiles nodded and pulled the too big jacket tighter around his shoulders. That had been exactly what happened. Stiles had come home from school distressed and the scent of Derek’s jacket was intoxicating. It smelt like wood and smoke and something richer, something that calmed him down. Something he didn’t want to live without.

“I’m not giving it back.” He said impulsively. One very nice, very thick eyebrow went up in amusement, along with Stiles' level of arousal, and Derek snorted.  
“C’mon.” Derek said jerking his chin towards the bathroom. Stiles followed him in warily and blushed at the second spike of arousal he felt when Derek closed the door behind them. Derek smirked before gesturing at the mirror.

“What.” Stiles frowned in confusion.

“Stop fighting the shift.” Derek said. Stiles glanced to the mirror warily before looking back at Derek.

“But the bloodlust…” Stiles was scared. Too scared of what he’d become...of what he might do.

“I’ll help you. I’m not going to let you hurt anyone Stiles.” Stiles didn’t know why but he believed him. He felt safe with Derek and he trusted him, trusted this total stranger when logic said he shouldn't. “We’re pack Stiles, we’re family.” Stiles swallowed, turned to the mirror and closed his eyes. He let go of his fear and his frustration and let it wash over him. 

He felt the transformation. His teeth changed, his nails split and reformed, and even his ears felt different. He felt different, more powerful, more in control than he’d been in a long time. Stiles opened his eyes and sniggered at his reflection. A smile tugged at the corners of Derek’s lips as he watched Stiles stare at his reflection in fascination. Stiles marveled at his claws and fangs, at his glowing gold eyes and the weird shift his face did.

“My eyebrows are gone.” He said around a mouthful of sharp teeth. “What the hell man!” He laughed and glanced at Derek who had also wolfed out. Stiles made a sound like a dying pterodactyl and started laughing so hard he started wheezing and he hand to grab the sink to calm himself.

“What.” Derek growled grumpily, somewhat embarrassed.

“Your. Eyebrows. Are. Completely. Gone. Dude.” Stiles wheezed.

“Don’t call me dude.” Derek snapped.

“I’m sorry.” Stiles choked. “But your eyebrows are so expressive and now they’re gone.” He dissolved into another fit of giggles and had to take several minutes to calm himself. When he finally looked up, Derek was glaring at him. Derek’s eyes flashed blue and Stiles paused.

“Does blue mean that you’re an omega?”

“What.” Derek blinked, caught off guard and his features shifted back to human.

“Your eyes. Mine are yellow, yours are blue and the alpha’s were red and we’re all three ranks so…?”

“No, blue means something different.”

“Like what?” Stiles pressed.”

“Your eyes only change color if you become an alpha...or…”

“Or what?” Stiles whispered, knowing that the answer would be something crucial. Derek frowned and looked away in shame.

“If you take the life of an innocent.” Derek whispered so low that even with werewolf hearing Stiles almost didn’t hear it.

“Oh.” Stiles felt embarrassed somehow. He knew he should be scared but he wasn’t. He just felt bad that he brought up something that Derek obviously didn’t want to talk about. Derek’s head jerked up and he looked at Stiles in amazement.

“Your heartbeat didn’t change. Your scent did but not your heartbeat.” Derek tilted his head in confusion.

“You can tell things like that?” Stiles asked in awe, turning back to stare at his reflection.

“Yes. You’re not afraid of me.” He sounded confused by that.

“Should I be?” Stiles glanced at him in confusion. Derek smiled at him then, a real smile and Stiles heart stuttered.

“No, no you shouldn’t be. I’m going to take care of you Stiles.”

“You’re not going to let the bloodthirsty alpha get me?” It was meant to be teasing but Stiles knew it didn’t really end up like that, for either of them.

“No. But I am going to kill him. He killed Laura in order to become an alpha. I hope you don't plan on stopping me...” Derek left the threat hanging. “He is your alpha.” He added almost as an afterthought. 

“You deserve revenge. I understand. And I won't stop you; he didn't give me a choice in what I am but I chose to not be in his pack.” Stiles nodded simply and turned back to the mirror and giggled again. “It’s so weird.” He laughed before grabbing the hem of his shirt and ripping it over his head.

“What are you doing?” Derek gaped. Stiles smirked, noticing how Derek’s heart, now that he knew he could listen for it, stuttered.

“I just grew hair on my face and arms. I’m checking to make sure I didn’t suddenly get a ton of chest hair or pubic hair or something…oh my god. Please tell me that my dick didn’t change!” Stiles gasped in horror.

“Why would that change?” Derek snorted incredulously.

“I don’t know!” Stiles said defensively, blushing and crossing his arms over his chest.

“You don’t get a wolf dick Stiles, don’t worry.” 

~~~

Of fucking course there were werewolf hunters. And of fucking course they were after Derek and Stiles. 

Stiles and Derek had been having a grand old time running through the woods and howling at the moon. There was wrestling and clawing and biting and scent marking each other. It was fun. It felt nice and he felt like he was a part of something great for once. Of course it all had to go and get ruined by a loud whistling noise and a flash bang of light. Derek had snarled threateningly at the hunters, grabbed Stiles and booked it through the forest. Stiles stumbled into a tree, still blinded from the flash of light. 

There was another whistling noise and pain exploded in his arm. He snarled and whimpered when he saw the arrow pinning his arm to the tree. He heard Derek’s low grumble from somewhere off to his left as he turned to face the hunters. He snarled at the man with the cross bow before breaking the arrow and racing off, Derek at his heels. They got to Stiles’ back yard in ten minutes flat, panting and out of breath, but safe.

“Despite the hunters, that was fun.” Stiles smiled. Derek laughed and grabbed the back of Stiles’ neck. Stiles didn’t know why but that move made him whimper slightly and his knees felt like jelly.

“Be careful pup.” Derek grumbled rubbing his face against Stiles’ one more time. Stiles’ chest rumbled as he scented Derek right back. He was sure that in the morning the wolf behaviors would be embarrassing but right now they were just instinctual. And then Derek was gone, running off into the woods, leaving Stiles to sneak into his own home.

~~~

All it had taken was a flash of his eyes and Scott whole heartedly believed him. Stiles was just grateful that he didn’t think he was a monster or a freak. That possibility hadn't occurred to him until he'd already flashed his eyes. But Scott seemed to think it was the coolest thing ever. They sat outside the school, waiting for practice to start and Stiles was telling him all about the full moon on Friday night and how he and Derek had spent the weekend running through the woods, with Derek training him to control his wolf.

Stiles smelt it the second Allison walked out of the building. He wrinkled his nose at Scott who blushed in embarrassment.

“I take it Friday went well for you.” Scott smiled widely at him as he nodded as Allison approached.

“Hey.” Stiles nodded to her.

“Hey, Stiles right?” Stiles smiled and nodded. “Scott’s told me a lot about you.”

“Probably not as much as he’s told me about you.” Stiles laughed at Scott’s embarrassed squawk. He smirked and enjoyed himself as Allison and Scott flirted with their beaming smiles and ridiculous dimples. A honk of a car horn and they all turned to see a tall man getting out of a red SUV. Stiles froze as the couple said their goodbyes and Allison’s dad helped her into the car. He waved at them and Scott waved back. Stiles felt his arm wave reflexively.

“What the hell dude?” Scott hissed as soon as the car pulled away.


	2. Second Chance at First Line

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles tries to adjust to his werewolf powers and contemplates whether to play in the big lacrosse game coming up.

To say that Stiles and Scott freaked out in the boys locker room is a bit of an understatement. Scott sat beside him, in his own state of shock, as Stiles hyperventilated loudly. Stiles let out a loud shuddering gasp as he stole Scott’s inhaler to stave off the asphyxia. Scott, for his part, didn’t seem to notice his wolfy friend going through his bag at all.

“The hunters. Her dad is one of 'em.” Stiles gasped, coming up for air.

“Her dad” Stiles doesn’t blame Scott for not wanting to believe it. Hell he didn’t want to believe it. Allison was a sweet girl….whose father shot him is all.

“He shot me—”

“Allison's father?” Now Scott just sounded desperate.

“With a crossbow.” Stiles nodded knowledgeably as Scott peered at him desperately.

“Allison's father—” Well now this was just getting repetitive.

“Yes! Scott! Her father!” Stiles shouted. "God!" The locker room went silent for a moment and Stiles buried his head in his hands and whimpered. He knew that he was making distressed little keening noises like a puppy but Scott, true friend that he was, ignored them. Jackson snorted at them as he passed and Stiles was tempted to snarl at him. Very tempted.

“Stiles, you okay?” Scott reached out and squeezed his shoulder in what was meant to be comforting. It wasn’t comforting at all. Stiles needed another wolf. He needed Derek. “Hey, all right? He didn't recognize you, right?” A new level of panic shot through them both and they shared terrified looks.

“No. N-no. I don't think so.” Stiles turned to look at Scott with wide eyes. “Does she know about him?”

“Oh, god. I don't know. What if she does?” Scott gasped and Stiles winced at the ragged way the air filled his human friend’s lungs.

“He’s gonna kill me and Derek, man.” Stiles hissed, glancing around the locker room as he whispered. That Lahey kid was watching them curiously but he looked away when Stiles narrowed his eyes.

“Okay, just focus on lacrosse.” Scott said, grabbing his padding and lacrosse stick and shoving them at the smaller boy. “Okay, here, Stiles. Take this, and focus on lacrosse for now, okay?” Stiles blinked at him. “That's all you gotta do, yeah?”

“Lacrosse.” Stiles groaned. He was going to lose it and all that self-control Derek’d been teaching him was going to go down the drain. “Why the hell am I even freaking out? I’m not dating her?” Stiles moaned.

“Yeah well your life is in danger. I think it’s reasonable Stiles.” Stiles blinked in shock at the very sensible words coming from Scott’s mouth.

“Did you get abducted and replaced by aliens this weekend?” Stiles muttered, heading out to the field.

“Hardy har har, asshole.” Scott rolled his eyes, grabbing his own lacrosse gear and following the smaller boy.

“Let's go!” Stiles winced as the shrill sound of Coach’s whistle penetrated the air. “One-on-one from up top! Jackson-Take a long stick today.” Stiles sighed as Coach yelled at everyone. He was so not in the mood for practice today. He’d had a lovely weekend with the hot older werewolf (Stiles would deny calling Derek hot) and now he had to deal with the stink of sweaty, testosterone fueled children.

“Atta boy. That's how you do it!” God it was sickening how in love with Jackson Coach was. Stiles made a heart with his hands and pointed at Jackson, smirking when the blonde sneered at him. “Greenberg, take a lap. Let's go!” Stiles and Scott laughed as Greenberg swore and jogged the perimeter. That kid was a fucking dunce.

Stiles quickly learned that showing off his werewolf powers and becoming first line meant he actually had to work. God how he missed his bench. “Faster, Greenberg! Let's go. Stilinski, what are you waiting for?” Stiles’ head whipped up from where he was watching Greenberg do laps (like a predator, Scott would say later) and he realized he was at the front of the scrimmage line, next to face down Jackson.

“You sure you still want to be first line, Stilinski?” Jackson taunted. Stiles rolled his eyes as he charged, but his heart wasn’t really in it. Jackson knocked him down and he groaned, winded. He recovered quickly and jumped to his feet, turning to head back to the back of the line.

“Stilinski!” Stiles startled to find the Coach staring at him. “My grandmother can move faster than that. And she's dead.” Stiles had to resist snarling as he rolled his shoulders; Coach’s aggression was palpable for his wolf and it was making him angry. “You think you can move faster than the lifeless corpse of my dead grandmother?” Finstock shouted in his ear. Stiles felt his brain ringing at a high pitch and he nodded curtly as Jackson mocked him to his friends.

“Yes, Coach.” Stiles grit out, grinding his teeth and trying not to wolf out.

“I can't hear you!”

“Yes, Coach!” Stiles shouted, eyes flashing as he glared at Jackson’s smug, bitchy face. Why were his emotions going everywhere? Stiles frowned and tromped down the field. Perhaps it was still too close to the full moon. Blood lust and all.

“Then do it again. Stilinski's gonna do it again!” Stiles snarled as he took his place in front of Scott and faced down Jackson one more time. He could sense Scott’s worried vibes coming from behind him but he ignored it. Jackson had been the bane of his existence since kindergarten, when he put paste in Stiles’ hair. Then he had to go and steal the girl that Stiles was in love with.

It was irrelevant that Stiles’ feelings for Lydia seemed to have disappeared over the summer, Jackson was going down. And go down he did. Spectacularly. Stiles may have dislocated the dick’s shoulder. The team crowded around Jackson in a flurry, acting like he was dying, while Stiles was three second away from wolfing out right on the pitch. God if he did that he’d rip them all to pieces, probably feast on their flesh.

“Stiles?” Stiles snarled when Scott crashed into him and grabbed his shoulders. “Stiles, you okay?”

“I can't control it, Scott. It's happening.” Stiles grit out around his lengthening teeth.

“What? Right here? Now?” Stiles grunted. “Come on, get up. Come on. Come on.” Stiles followed Scott blindly, trusting his friend to get him away from the team. Stiles’ ears were pounding with the sound of so many hearts beating and pumping blood. Blood that would probably just feel so amazing running down his throat. The sound of one heartbeat in particular caught Stiles’ attention and his head jerked up to see Derek scowling at him in disappointment, next to the stands. Stiles’ wolf perked up and everything in him strained to get to the older beta.

In the next second Derek was gone as Scott led Stiles into the school. Stiles could kill Scott for taking him away from Derek. Away from his pack. Stiles snarled as Scott shoved him into the boys’ locker rooms.

“Come on, here we go. There. That's it. You okay? Stiles, you okay?” Scott asked as he dragged his friend further into the room.

“Get away from me!” Stiles growled, eyes flashing. Scott whimpered and his scent colored with the beautiful taste of fear. Stiles roared as Scott fled. He jumped onto the lockers and the cement support beams, chasing after the pumping heartbeat. Scott slammed into the door and whimpered and Stiles crowed his victory.

Strong arms wrapped around his waist as he sprung from the locker tops, surprising him and sending him hard into the floor. Stiles groaned and rolled over, pulling off his helmet to see Derek and Scott watching him.

Derek was still pinning him to the floor with the force of both his incredibly muscular arms and his disappointed glare. Stiles let the feeling of shame wash over him. He felt hollow. He never wanted Derek to look at him like that again. The rabbiting of Scott’s pulse made him turn to look at his friend who was staring at him with wide eyes.

“Scott…What happened?”

“You tried to kill me.” Scott’s voice squeaked before he slid down to the floor to stare at Stiles in disbelief. Stiles winced in apology.

“It's like I told you before. It's the anger. It's your pulse rising. It's a trigger.” Derek said quietly into Stiles’ ear.

“But that's lacrosse. It's a pretty violent game, if you hadn't noticed.” Stiles whined, he sounded needy even to himself. He needed contact, more than just restraining arms; he needed the scent and comfort of pack. But Derek was mad at him and he wasn’t going to give him that, that much was obvious.

“Well, it is going be a lot more violent if you end up killing someone on the field.” Derek snapped. Stiles sighed and hung his head. “You can't play Saturday. You're going to have to get out of the game.” Stiles’ head jerked up and he stared at Derek in disbelief. Scott gaped at them both from the doorway.

“I'm first line.” Stiles growled, glaring at Derek, challenging him.

“Not anymore.” Derek bit out. “I saw you on the field. You shifted in front of them! If they find out what you are, they find out about me. About all of us. And then it's not just the hunters after us, it's everyone.” Stiles growl/whimpered. Derek may not have been the alpha that bit him but Stiles felt like Derek was his alpha. And now daddy was mad at him cos he done fucked up. But he wanted to play fight dammit! Isn’t that what wolf cubs did?

Stiles frowned to himself; he needed to stop with the daddy and cub scenario.

“But…they didn't see anything! I-I swear, Derek—” Stiles whined as Derek pulled away from him, steel in his voice.

“And they won't! Because if you even try to play in that game on Saturday… I'm going to kill you myself.” He snarled before turning and leaving. Stiles wailed and curled in on himself, feeling like Derek had ripped Stiles’ heart out of his chest.

"What a fucking asshole." Scott seethed. "I thought you said the guy was helping you. He's just a complete jack-ass, why do you like him?" Stiles shuddered and curled in further, trying to ignore Scott's angry words as the human continued to rant and yell about Derek. Scott was angry on his behalf but it didn't mean that Stiles was okay with him tearing into Derek. Derek had been nothing but kid to him...until now...until he was threatened by Stiles.

~~~

“Hey.” Stiles looked up from where he was trying to suffocate himself with his pillow, to see his dad standing in his doorway. Stiles immediately felt bad; he hadn’t really spoken to his dad in a week, since the attack. “Late shift again for me. But I am taking Saturday off to see your first game.” The Sherriff smiled.

“Dad, you can't!”

“Oh, no, I can and I will. Come on, one shift isn't gonna break us. Completely.” He sighed, coming over to sit beside Stiles on the bed. Stiles turned to look at him, bleary eyed. “Stiles, what's wrong with your eyes?” Stiles frowned, hand coming up to rub at his eyes, drowsily He knew his eyes hadn’t flashed, he would have felt that, right? “You look like you haven't slept in days...have you been crying?”...So he’d cried for a few hours after he got home from practice. So what?

“Oh, uh, it's nothing. I'm just…stressed.” Stiles winced at his terrible lie. John’s eyebrow went up.

“Just stress? Nothin' else?”

“Homework.” Stiles mumbled, glancing at the growing pile on his desk that he hadn’t even bothered to touch.

“You’re on drugs or anything, right?”

“Right now?” Stiles asked, turning back to his dad only to meet another disapproving glare. God couldn’t he just stop disappointing people for ten minutes?

“I'm sorry, what do you mean ‘right now?’ Have you ever taken drugs?”

“Have you?” The Sheriff just glared at him and Stiles groaned and shoved his face back into his pillow. “Ifinkimghtbeghey.” He grumbled.

“Try that again,” John sighed, trying to tug the pillow away from his son’s surprisingly strong grip. Stiles tugged the pillow back and shoved his face back into it, but made enough room that he could speak without having to look at his father.

“I said…ithinkimightbegay.” He blushed and looked anywhere but at his dad.

“What?” Stiles groaned and flopped onto his back, staring at the ceiling.

“I. Think. I. Might. Be…gay.” Stiles whispered the last word before squeezing his eyes shut.

“Okay…” The Sheriff said slowly, like he didn’t understand. “Is this what you’ve been stressed about? Stiles you know that I don’t care about any of that stuff.”

“Yeah dad, I know.” Stiles sighed before turning to look at his dad. He hadn’t been worried exactly, but it felt nice nonetheless to have his dad’s support.

“So what’s the problem?”

“The problem is I’ve been in love with Lydia Martin since I was eight! That’s like eight years dad! And sure I’ve noticed that Jackson and Danny, and that Lahey kid are really hot but so what? I didn’t think anything of it!” Stiles groaned, hands flailing. The Sheriff frowned as he dodged a scrawny, swinging hand. “And then suddenly this new guy shows up and he’s really really really hot and he makes my blood race like no one else and—”

“I don’t need the details.” John said, looking horrified. Stiles smirked and snickered a little.

“It’s just…” Stiles sighed again before staring forlornly at the ceiling.

“Is this why you were crying?”

“He hates me.” Stiles sniffled. “He yelled at me today and he hates me and I fucked up and I don’t want to come through some gay crisis because of him just for him to reject me!” Stiles said in a rush, tears springing to his eyes.

“Shit.” John whispered before running a hand gently through Stiles’ bristly hair. “Everything is going to be okay Stiles.” Stiles had to physically stop himself from rubbing against his dad’s hand like a dog. “I’m sorry but I have to go to work now." John sighed, glancing at Stiles' clock. "We’ll talk later, yeah?” Stiles nodded numbly and curled into his pillow as his dad left.

~~~

“What do you mean, you can't play the game tomorrow night?” Coach’s outraged cry stung Stiles’ ears. He was still learning to control the wolf side effects. He’d had Derek to teach him but now Derek was mad at him and Stiles felt like shit. And his hearing was still something he had a hard time tampering with.

“I mean. I can't play the game tomorrow night.” Stiles said, deadpan.

“You can't Wait to play the game tomorrow night.” Coach frowned, leaning against his desk.

“No, Coach, I can't play the game tomorrow night.” Stiles huffed, hands flopping uselessly at his sides.

“I'm not following.” Coach folded his arms and frowned.

“I'm having some personal issues.” Stiles fidgeted and folded his arms over his chest.

“Is it a girl?” Coach smiled indulgently.

“No!” Shit. That might have come out a bit too indignant.

“Is it a guy?” Yup, too indignant. Stiles blushed and Coach smiled. “You know, our goalie Danny is gay.”

“Yeah, I know, Coach, but that's not it.”

“You don't think Danny's a good lookin' guy?”

“I…I think he's good looking...” Stiles trailed off before getting back to his argument. “But I—that's not it, anyway!”

“What, is it drugs? Are you doing meth? Because I had a brother that was addicted to meth. You should have seen what it did to his teeth.” Stiles frowned, hating that Coach was being so stubborn. “They were all cracked and rotted. It was…it was disgusting.” Stiles had to physically resist asking if it was profoundly disgusting.

“What happened to him?” He asked instead.

“He got veneers. Is… is that what this is about? Are you afraid of getting hurt, Stilinski?”

“No. I'm having some issues dealing with...aggression.” Stiles bit out the last word.

“Well, here's the good news. That's why you play lacrosse. Problem solved.”

“Coach, I can't play the game tomorrow night!” Stiles flailed about and Finstock scowled.

“Stilinski, part of playing first line is taking on the responsibility of being first line. Now, if you can't shoulder that responsibility, then you're back on the bench until you're ready.”

“If I don't play the game, you're taking me off first line?” Stiles didn’t know why he cared; he hadn’t cared about lacrosse before he became a werewolf. He was only taking it because it would look good on college transcripts. “Stilinski, play the game.” Finstock said before getting up and sitting behind his desk to do some actual work.

“If I recant and say I can’t play because I’m going through a sexuality crisis will you let me not play?” Stiles asked glancing at the door to make sure none of his teammates heard him. When he glanced back Finstock was watching him shrewdly.

“Are you experiencing a sexuality crisis?” his eyes bugged a little. Stiles blushed again, fidgeting before nodding once, curtly. He heard a snicker and turned to see Jackson walking by. Jackson winked at him and Stiles scowled.

“You’re still playing.”

“Ugh!” Stiles threw his hands up in defeat before stomping off to wallow in self-pity.

~~~

God. Could Stiles’ life get any worse? Apparently it could because the first time Lydia Martin deigned to talk to him is after he’s over her and while he’s in the midst of a gay crisis. What even is life?!

“Why is there a rumor going around that you're not playing tomorrow?” She asked, scratching away at the chalkboard.

“'Cause I'm sort of not.” Stiles scowled, working on his equation.

“I think you sort of are.” Stiles turned to scowl at her. “Especially when you brutally injure my boyfriend by ramming into him.”

“He brutally injured himself ramming into me.” He muttered defensively.

“Jackson's gonna play tomorrow. But he's not gonna be at his peak, and I prefer my boyfriend at peak performance.” Peak was said with a pointed glance at Stiles’ crotch. He felt very vulnerable and protective of his bits, all of the sudden. Three weeks ago Lydia even talking to him would have given him a hard on, looking at his crotch would probably have resulted in him creaming his pants. Now he felt nothing.

“Okay.” Stiles frowned at her before turning back to the blackboard.

“I date the captain of the winning lacrosse team, and if they start off the season losing, I date the captain of the losing lacrosse team. I don't date losers.”  
“Losing one game isn't gonna kill anyone. In fact, it might even save someone.” Stiles muttered the last bit.

“Fine! Don't play. We'll probably win anyway. Then we'll go out after, like we were planning and Stiles Stilinski can stay home, surfing the net for porn.” She smirked, stomping back to her seat. Stiles rolled his eyes and turned back to his question.

“Mr. Stilinski, you're not even close to solving your problem.” Mr. Allen scowled at him and Stiles groaned

“Tell me about it.”

~~~

"What are you doing?" Scott asked, leaning against Stiles' backpack as he watched the Sheriff and another deputy talk to the school principal.

"Shhhh!!" Stiles hissed out, waving his arm madly behind him to get his point across.

"Are you listening to them?" Scott laughed incredulously.

"There's a curfew because of the body." Stiles groaned and turned to stare at his friend.

"Crap. Your dad's out looking for a rabid animal, while the jerk-off who actually killed the girl is just hangin' out, doing whatever he wants." Scott grumbled. Stiles shrugged, the curfew was no skin off his nose; he didn’t have any hot dates lined up.

"Well, I can't exactly tell my dad the truth about Derek and I...or the alpha.

"I can do something." Stiles raised an eyebrow at him and smiled.

"Sure buddy." Stiles laughed, forgetting about the conversation and wandering over to see what Janice and Erica were talking about. Erica blushed and her heart rate stuttered as he spoke to them. He blinked at her in shock, hoping she wasn’t about to have a seizure.

~~~

Allison was unbelievably happy at lunch that day. Stiles nodded at her and then went back to his debate with Janice over their favorite fictional character in their favorite TV show. Scott rolled his eyes and turned to his maybe kinda sorta girlfriend.

“So, I heard that Lydia's introducing you to everyone?”

“She's being so unbelievably nice to me.” She smiled, dimples lighting up her face.

“I wonder why.” Stiles remarked casually, stealing some tater tots off of Scott’s tray.

“Maybe she gets how much being the new girl can suck.” Stiles hummed skeptically. And Scott blinked at his friend in confusion; since when was Stiles not worshiping the ground Miss Lydia Martin walked on. Allison smiled at Erica who scowled and turned to her own lunch, before setting her tray and jacket onto the laminate table top.

“Where did you get that? I thought you forgot it at the party.” Everyone blinked at Scott’s confused (and slightly harsh tone)

“My jacket? Stiles’ friend Derek gave it to me.” Stiles’ head whipped around to stare at her and everyone winced at the crack it made.

“Derek?” Stiles' voice was strangled.

“Yeah, probably early twenties, black hair, tall, really buff.” Allison smiled. “He said that Scott brought it to your house from the party and forgot it there and that you’d forgotten all about it.” She blinked in confusion, smile falling, as she realized that that wasn’t the case.

“When did you become friends with someone like that Stiles?” Erica smirked. Stiles could smell the jealousy coming off of her in waves. He rolled his eyes at her. God she didn’t even know Derek and already she was lusting after him. Janice and Scott traded knowing looks, Stiles would never notice Erica’s crush on him that was for sure.

“Did Derek say anything else to you?” Stiles asked, sipping his milk.

“Something about hunting and wolves, I didn’t really follow it. He’s a nice guy, attractive and all but weird as hell.” She hummed, sipping her own milk. Stiles and Scott shared horrified looks.

~~~

Scott and Stiles rode out to the burned out shell of Hale manor after practice that day. Derek could be rude to Stiles and Scott all he wanted but Scott was not going to stand by and let him scare Allison. He was not allowed to use girlfriends or humans as threats against the boys.

“Derek! Derek!” Scott was shouting before he was even out of the jeep. Stiles sighed wistfully as he got out; he spent the whole weekend out here with Derek practicing control. Now he wasn’t welcome. “Stay away from her!” Stiles glanced up to see Derek standing with his arms crossed on the burnt porch.

“She doesn't know anything, Der.” Stiles supplied, explaining Scott's presence. Derek’s eye twitched at the pet name and Stiles winced. Scott was looking around the property in interest.

“Yeah? What if she does?” Derek snarled, stomping down the steps in his keds. Stiles was surprised to see Derek wearing tennis shoes, expecting him to wear something angsty and macho like biker boots. “You think you and your little buddy can just google werewolves, and now you got all the answers, is that it?” Scott seethed and Stiles had to suppress a hysterical giggle at how old it made Derek sound to say it like that. “You don't get it yet, Stiles, but I'm looking out for you. Think about what could happen. You're out on the field. The aggression takes over. And you shift in front of everyone. Your dad, all your friends. And when they see you - everything falls apart.”

Stiles’ wolf flinched from the thought.

“Yeah for you maybe!” Scott snarled. “I’ve been looking out for Stiles his whole life. You can’t just waltz in here acting like you know all the answers." Stiles frowned; Derek did know all the answers, at least about werewolves anyways. “You’re just scared of what will happen if they find out about you.”

“Yes.” Derek admitted. “I am. But I can take care of myself. I’m more worried about what will happen to Stiles.” Stiles knew Derek could smell his shock. The older wolf turned to him and sighed heavily. “Stiles humans don’t tend to take the news well. You think they’ll all react like Scott? Instantly loyal? What would your father do if he saw you wolf out and kill people? What would your Coach think? Or that little redhead you’re so infatuated with? Stiles this isn’t about you playing a game. You’re playing with your life here.” Stiles paled.

~~~

“And then you help me figure out how to play lacrosse without changing. Because there's no way I'm sitting out any other games besides’ Saturday’s.” Stiles said later at night to Scott on the phone as he twirled around on his desk chair. He glanced at his half-finished pile of math homework and frowned, waiting for Scott to reply.

“Of course.” Scott grunted into the other end of the phone. Stiles paused, listening to his friend’s worn breaths.

“Dude what are you doing? You sound out of breath there buddy.”

“I’m just…doing some…push ups.” Stiles was surprised that he could hear the lie even through the phone. Though he supposed that it had more to do with knowing Scott his whole life than hearing a heartbeat. Which would be nifty if he could do that over the phone. “Look man…I gotta go.”

“Yeah bye.” Stiles hung up and spun in his chair once more, wondering what the hell his friend was up to. He didn’t have to wonder long when he heard his dad’s police radio downstairs go off.

“We got a tip about the second half of the missing body." A pause as Stiles' dad answered. "It’s at the old Hale residence.” Sheriff Stilinski swore and got in his cruiser and drove off. Stiles swore like his father and leapt out the window, tucking and rolling into a landing. He’d seen Scott eyeing the mound of dirt where Derek buried Laura but he hadn’t thought anything of it. Obviously that was his mistake. Fuck and he’d let Scott (illegally) borrow his car. Derek was going to blame him for this. 

Fuck.

Stiles made it to the crime scene just as Scott finished answering the police questions. Stiles had no idea what he’d told them but he was going to kill him. Derek pulled into his driveway just as Stiles reached the edge of the slightly singed trees. The police wasted no time in arresting Derek who went quietly with nothing more than a hurt glower in Stiles’ direction.

“What the fuck!” everyone turned as Stiles approached Scott. Scott smiled at him but Stiles shoved him. Hard. Scott fell into the dirt and stared up at Stiles in shock.

“What the fuck?” He echoed.

“Why would you do this to him? To me?” Stiles hissed as Scott pulled himself up. Stiles heard the police murmuring to themselves, wondering what the boys were fighting about, but paid them no mind.

“He killed her man!” Scott shouted. “He killed her and buried her and he’s manipulating you into trusting him!”

“That was his sister, asshole!” Scott paled and glanced at Derek sitting idly in the back of the police cruiser. “He had every right to bury her like that. And he’s not manipulating me Scott! He’s the only one I’ve got to help me.”

“I can help you.” Scott sounded hurt. Good.

“You’re not a werewolf Scott. You really can’t! I can’t believe you would do something so-so…so dickish as this and then go and say it’s all for me. It’s just because you don’t like that Allison is and Argent and you’re pissed that there’s a curfew. So no, this wasn’t for me. It’s because you are so fucking desperate that you’ll do anything even condemn an innocent man.”

“I hardly think he’s innocent.” Scott spat storming off angrily. Stiles huffed and ducked into the police car.

“Hey.” Stiles whispered. Derek blinked at him before smiling sadly.

“I’m sorry.” Stiles’ brow furrowed in confusion at Derek's words. “For believing that you helped your friend.”

“You’re pack Derek, I would never betray you like that.” Stiles sighed, pressing his forehead against the grate between them. Derek leaned forward, pressing his own forehead against Stiles’ in a form of solidarity. “Look, I’m not going to play on Saturday. I don’t want to risk anyone’s lives for a pathetic game. I should have listened to you earlier…but…”

“I understand Stiles.”

“You’re pack. Hell you’re practically my alpha.” Derek blinked at him in shock. “I should have listened to you. I’m not in control.... Its just....that for once I was good at something. Actually good at something and people noticed. I didn’t think I wanted attention but I guess I was wrong.”

“Hey,” Derek pressed closer to the grate. “There’s nothing wrong with wanting attention. Just make sure it’s the right kind yeah?” Stiles nodded, pressing as close to Derek as he could get, needing to reassure his pack that it would be ok. “When I was your age I took all the attention I could get, even when it wasn’t necessarily good. And I lost my family because of it.”

“Wha—”

“I don’t want you to loose yours too.” Derek whispered, cutting Stiles off. Stiles didn’t have a chance to answer before the door was yanked open and the Sheriff hauled him out. John tugged him away despite his protests and released him several feet from the car. Stiles knew that Derek and probably half of the police force could still hear them though.

“There. Stand. What the hell do you think you're doing?”

“Umm…” Stiles looked around helplessly.

“Because you looked awful cosy with him in there and Scott is pissed at you about something. So talk.” He folded his arms and Stiles cowered. Tail between his legs, so to say. When the Sheriff realized Stiles wasn’t going to talk he rolled his eyes. “How do you know Derek Hale?”

“Um…I met him the other night…”

“The other night when you and Scott were looking for the other half of the body?”

“Yes! No! Fuck.” Stiles scrubbed his face with his hands as Scott approached them.

“I was just trying to help.” Scott whispered. Mostly to Stiles but the Sheriff heard it as well.

“Okay, well, how 'bout you help me understand exactly how you came across this.”

“I was looking for my inhaler.” He said quietly. If his heart hadn’t stuttered, Stiles wouldn’t have known he was lying.

“Which you dropped when?”

“The other night.” Scott said evasively and Stiles groaned.

“The other night when you were out here looking for the first half of the body?”

“Yes.”

“The night that you told me you were alone and Stiles at home.”

“Shit.” Scott whispered, not knowing the Sheriff had already figured out that Stiles had been there that night. Stiles distinctly heard Derek snort from inside the car. He turned and scowled at the wolf who just shook his head at them. Scott and the Sheriff noticed where he was looking and his father raised an eyebrow.

“Stiles.” He said it low and cold and Stiles knew he was royally fucked. “How do you know Derek Hale?” he repeated dangerously and Stiles swallowed.

“Look okay, you caught Scott and then it started to rain and then there was a mountain lion and I know I wasn’t supposed to run but I did and it was chasing me and I ran into the road and Derek almost killed me with his car when he was coming into town and then he gave me a lift home and then I saw him when I went for a walk and we maybe hung out together last weekend and…yeah.” Stiles gasped sharply, having spilled that mess of lies in one breath.

“When he was coming into town?” The Sheriff said slowly as the other deputies and even Scott were still trying to process the word vomit that exploded from Stiles’ mouth.

“Yes?” Stiles squeaked. “He was looking for his sister because she didn’t check in.”

“So he’s new to town. Just got here?” The Sheriff had that look on his face that meant he was onto something. Stiles just had no clue what.

“Yes? We established this right?” Stiles looked at Scott in confusion, who shrugged.

“Stiles, is Derek the new guy who showed up and I quote—” Stiles felt his blood freeze as he stared at his father in horror, shaking his head 'no' and willing him not to say what he was sure he was going to. “-made your blood race like no one else—” Scott choked and Derek’s heart stuttered. “-and that don’t want to go through a gay crisis for in case he rejected you?”

“Not cool dad.” Stiles whispered, pale. He wished he could have a cool dad that wouldn’t embarrass him in front of everyone.

 _“I make your blood race huh?”_ Stiles’ head whipped over to glare at Derek who just smirked at him from the back of the police car. Of course no one else could hear Derek, what with werewolf whispering/hearing powers. Great. Stiles seethed.

“Stiles?” His dad asked, amused.

“Yes?” Stiles squeaked.

“You know I have no problem with your sexuality but that man is at least six years older than you.” The Sheriff crossed his arms and Stiles groaned.

“God dad! I’ve known him for like a week. Chill out!”

“You looked pretty cosy with him in there.”

“Ugh!” Stiles groaned, grabbing Scott and pulling him over to the Jeep to get out of there.

~~~

“Dude…really? Derek Hale?” Stiles scowled at Scott and kept driving. “Alright fine.” Scott laughed before changing the subject and describing Laura’s burial site with the plant and the twine swirl around her grave and her turning from a wolf into a woman. “I can't find anything about wolfsbane being used for burial.” Scott said, tapping furiously at his phone as Stiles absorbed the influx of information.

“Maybe it's like a ritual or something, like maybe they bury you as a wolf. Or maybe it's like a special skill, you know? Like something you have to learn.” Stiles mused.  
“Put it on your to-do list, right underneath figuring out how the hell you’re playing this game tonight.”

“Maybe it's different for girl werewolves.” Stiles hummed, turning left and proceeding down that road.

“Okay! Stop it!”

“Stop what? Stop saying "werewolves"?”

“Stop enjoying this so much.” Stiles rolled his eyes before stiffening as a new scent hit him. “Are you okay?”

“No! No, I'm not. I'm so far from being okay.” Stiles hissed, suddenly very irrationally angry.

“Stiles?”

“I can't…can't breathe. Aah!” Stiles groaned, pulling the car over and gasping lungful’s of painful air.

“What's happening?” Scott asked, panicky. Stiles hissed, searching for that poisonous smell, clawing through Scott’s bag to find the twine wrapped flowers.

“You kept it?”

“What was I supposed to do with it?” Scott gasped. Stiles ripped out the plant and threw it out his car window, whining as it burned his hands and left laceration marks on his skin. They burned deep and he had to let Scott drive them home as he stared at the slowly healing marks.

~~~

His dad came home several hours later with one Derek Hale in tow. Stiles blinked at them in shock before making a confused noise in the back of his throat. Stiles was in the middle of a dinner of chicken nuggets and curly fries. Derek smirked and the Sheriff sighed.

“You’re lucky his story matches with yours.” The Sheriff sighed, taking out his gun and putting the safety on before he placed the gun in the safe. “Plus it looks like it was an animal that killed her. Derek is going to be staying with us for a while because I’ll not have him sleeping in that burned down house.” Stiles felt warm at the thought of his father's hospitality and kind heart.

“Fries?” Stiles asked weakly, holding his plate out to the tired looking wolf. Derek sighed before seating himself at their kitchen table. The three of them had an awkward dinner where John kept making allusions about the two of them to make them blush. Derek followed Stiles upstairs under the pretense of setting his things in the guest bedroom.

“Look, Stiles…” Derek started, leaning against Stiles’ doorframe, while Stiles was flailing about, trying to tug on his lacrosse uniform.

“Ok, yes I like you.” Stiles blushed. “Don’t go making a big deal about rejecting me.”

“I like you as well Stiles.” Stiles gaped at him in shock. “But nothing can happen between us. You’re a child." Stiles frowned and Derek took a steadying breath. "And my sister was just murdered Stiles, I’m not ok.”

“Oh…ok.” Oddly enough Stiles wasn’t disappointed. They liked each other. It would just take them some time to get to a point where they could be together.

“You gonna try to convince me to let you play?” Derek asked smirking as Stiles pulled his jersey on backwards.

“No. I just hope we know what we’re doing.”

“If you don't play, you lose first line.” Derek mused, glancing around at Stiles' decorations. Stiles fixed his jersey and shrugged. “I think I might have over reacted." Stiles turned to Derek in confusion. Derek elaborated. "You have the best control out of any new wolf I’ve ever seen. I think you can do this. As long as you try to stay out of the main conflict.”

“Really?” Stiles blinked at him in shock. Derek shrugged and Stiles attacked him in a surprise hug that had Derek stumbling into the hall.

“I don’t even want to know.” The Sheriff shook his head, walking past them in the hall way and on to his own room. Derek huffed and smiled before peeling Stiles off of himself.

~~~

Stiles and Scott kicked ass at their game. Stiles was calm and collected the whole time, continually passing to Scott or Jackson and letting them score the goals. Derek had come with John to watch the match and he was sitting rather uncomfortably between the Sheriff and Scott’s mom who had instantly adored him. Stiles noticed the looks that both Coach and Allison’s dad were giving Derek. He could understand the looks from the hunter but not from Coach. When they won the game Stiles might have been overly enthusiastic, throwing himself at Scott and then Derek in bone crushing hugs.

As everyone cheered and raced out to meet the players, Scott and Allison were embraced in a disgustingly sweet display, Stiles clung to Derek, breathing his scent in.

“You do realize what this looks like to everyone right?” Derek asked, scratching idly at Stiles’ shorn hair. If Stiles were a werecat and not a werewolf he would have purred.

“I don’t care. You’re pack. Hug me.” Derek just rolled his eyes and pulled him in tighter. The Sheriff and Mr. Argent eyed them speculatively.

“So…that Jackson kid’s a tool.” Derek whispered in his ear and maybe Stiles’ laugh was loud enough to scare off several people but it felt good to laugh.

“Hale!” Argent was watching them curiously as Coach approached.

“Coach Finstock.” Derek nodded casually as if having a sixteen year old boy clinging to him for dear life was an everyday thing. Stiles carefully peeled himself off of Derek's incredibly firm chest and fixed his uniform.

“So…” Coach eyed them. “I take it you’re the source of Stilinski’s sexuality crisis?” Derek and Stiles both blushed and looked away while Finstock and the Sheriff laughed. “I haven’t seen you in years kid. You were one of our best players.” Coach laughed, punching Derek’s shoulder.

“You played lacrosse?” Scott asked incredulously as he approached, Allison, Lydia and Jackson in tow.

“Hell yeah he did!” Coach smirked. “He was even better than Jackson here.” Stiles smirked and Jackson scowled.

“I was better at basketball. I just took lacrosse to look good for college.” Derek shrugged awkwardly.

“Haha, maybe you can come by practice some time, give these kids some pointers.” Derek shrugged again and Stiles rolled his eyes. “What brings you back to Beacon? I thought after…the fire…” Stiles, Derek, the Sheriff, Melissa and Mr. Argent all cringed “that you’d never come back.”

“Yeah well...Beacon Hills is my home.” Derek said casually, eyes did flickering to Allison’s father who scowled.


	3. Pack Mentality

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scott is excited for his first date with Allison, until it becomes a confusing group date with Stiles, Danny, Lydia and Jackson in tow. Meanwhile, a mysterious animal attack occurs, putting Stiles’ dad, Sheriff Stilinski, on high alert.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mandatory excuse for late update: I cute my hand open so....sorry i guess? *shrugs and casually drops really late chapter here*

“Where are you taking me?” Stiles turned and smiled at Derek, grabbing his hands and pulling him forward until they were chest to chest.

“Somewhere where we can be alone.” He smiled before turning and heading out of the school hallways and into the parking lot, towards the parked buses.

“We are alone.” Derek smiled even though he was clearly confused.

“Somewhere where we can be more alone. Duh.” Stiles rolled his eyes before pulling open the bus door. “Come on.” They entered the bus and went to the halfway point, each sitting in a different seat, looking at each other over the path. It was like a symbolical divide. Everything keeping them from each other, age, Derek’s shit ton of angst, Stiles’ dad, Scott’s angst about Derek, etc. Well Stiles was going to fucking cross that divide. Stiles slid off the seat and knelt on Derek’s bench, leaning in to finally kiss the walking wet dream that was Derek Hale. As he leaned in, lips nearly touching Derek’s he felt himself shift. He pulled back confused, looking at his clawed hands.

“Stiles?” Derek frowned in confusion, blinking up at the boy.

“What's wrong?” Stiles gasped. “What’s happening? Derek I can’t control it!?” Stiles gasped as his fangs protruded and his ears slid to a point.

“Get away.” Derek swore, shoving Stiles back. Stiles whined in confusion and hurt. “Get away from me.” Stiles hurt and heartbreak quickly transformed into anger and he lashed out at Derek as the other man tried to crawl over the bus seats. Derek swore colorfully as Stiles’ claws raked his side and he toppled to the sticky floor. Derek struggled backwards on his hands, shuffling towards the front of the bus and growling warningly at Stiles. Stiles lunged for the other beta’s throat and Derek kicked him in the chest, sending him flying into the emergency door, denting it.

Derek took the chance to get to his feet and race towards the bus’s front door but he was too rattled to pull it open, resorting to pounding on it and whining. Stiles grabbed the nearest seat and flung it at him but it bounced uselessly against the others seats and the confining metal walls, stopping short of its mark. Stiles crawled over the benches, growling low and predatorily, enjoying the smell of fear wafting off of the older man. Derek screamed as Stiles lunged. Stiles jerked from his bed gasping in lungful’s of air, looking around wildly in confusion. His chest heaved and he turned to find his dad standing in his doorway holding a mug of coffee.

“What?” Stiles gasped loudly, still trying to suck in oxygen.

“I came in to wake you, you’re usually getting ready by now…but when I came upstairs you were thrashing around...and growling.”

“I had a…nightmare.” Stiles frowned, pulling back the blankets and shivering as the cold air rushed at his sweaty body.

“Uh-huh.” The Sheriff looked worried and Stiles smiled weakly.

“Where’s Derek?” Stiles asked, knowing that the older beta should have sensed his distress and shown up by now. John smirked, thinking Stiles was asking for another reason.

“He went for a jog about a half hour ago.” Stiles nodded and grabbed his things before heading towards the shower.

~~~

“So you killed him?”

“I don't know. I just woke up. And I was sweating like crazy, and I couldn't breathe. I've never had a dream where I woke up like that before.” Stiles shrugged, walking towards his locker.

“Really?” Scott said skeptically, eyebrow raising in amusement.

“Oh well I have but they usually end a little differently.” Stiles smirked. Scott laughed

“Never give me that much detail about you in bed again.” Scott smirked as Stiles deposited his stuff.

“Fine, fine.” Stiles laughed before sobering up. “Derek wasn’t there when I woke up this morning…Oh my God what if I killed him?!”

“Stiles,” Scott sighed.

“No, I know, but chasing him, dragging him to the back of the bus, it felt so real.” Stiles whined, slamming his locker shut and heading over to Scott’s locker so he could dump his shit.

“I know, you think it has something to do with you suddenly being a werewolf and you’re scared you’re gonna lose control and rip someone’s throat out.” Stiles frowned as Scott opened his locker.

“No, of course not.” Scott leveled him with a disparaging look. “Yeah, that's totally it. I’m freaking out a little.”

“Hey, come on, it's gonna be fine, all right? Personally, I think you're handling this pretty freakin' amazingly. You know, it's not like there's a lycanthropy for beginners class you can take.” Scott smiled, trying to impress Stiles with his new found knowledge.

“Yeah, not a class, but a teacher…that I may have sleep murdered.”

“Did it really feel that real?” Scott asked as they headed across campus.

“Yeah, like it actually happened.” Stiles muttered, flinging the doors open with a rather spectacular wrist flick. They boys froze as they took in the sight of the mangled and bloody bus.

“I think it did.” Scott gasped, reaching for his inhaler.

“I’m going to puke.” Stiles gasped before turning tail and racing towards the nearest bathroom. Scott found him a few minutes later, heaving into one of the toilets.

“Stiles…” Scott frowned, knocking on the stall door. 

“There was so much blood.” Stiles groaned.

“He's probably fine.” Scott said, wiggling his way under the cubicle door to sit next to his friend.

“He's not answering my texts, Scott.” Stiles whimpered, showing Scott his phone with dozens of sent texts that were getting increasingly desperate.

“It could just be a coincidence, all right?” Scott said, rubbing his friend’s back.

“A seriously amazing coincidence” Stiles muttered. Just then his phone started vibrating in Scott’s hands and Scott flinched, sending the phone flying and they both tried desperately to catch it as it bounced back and forth between them. Stiles finally caught it before it landed in the toilet.

“Derek.” Stiles breathed into the phone and Scott smiled reassuringly, even though he still didn’t really like Derek all that much.

“What’s going on Stiles? Are you okay? I was in the shower, I didn’t hear my phone.”

“It’s nothing…I just wanted to make sure you were safe okay? Tell me you’re safe.”

“I’m safe Stiles, I’m just about to make breakfast." Stiles could hear Derek messing with things on the other end. "Perfectly safe. Unless I die in some freak toaster accident.” And wow Stiles could hear the smirk there.

“That’s not funny!” Stiles choked.

“Stiles what’s going on?” All good humor left Derek's voice.

“I’ll explain everything later, I have to get to class now.” Stiles promised, hanging up. His proclamation was followed by the late bell. Stiles and Scott cursed, racing towards their first class.

~~~

“Maybe it was my blood on the door.” Stiles mused later that day in chemistry. Scott turned to look at him as Stiles continued his musings. “Could have been animal blood… You know, maybe I caught a rabbit or something.”

“And did what?” Scott grimaced.

“Ate it.” Sometimes Scott was full of pearls of wisdom other times he was a real fucking idiot. Stiles didn’t know how did it.

“Raw?” Scott shuddered.

“No, I stopped to bake it in my little werewolf oven.” Stiles deadpanned. “I don't know! I can't remember anything.” Stiles emphasized this comment by throwing his hands up.

“Mr. Stilinksi, if that's your idea of a hushed whisper, you might want to pull the headphones out every once in a while.” Stiles seethed as Mr. Harris called him out and the class turned to watch his humiliation. “I think you and Mr. McCall would benefit from a little distance, yes?”

“No.” He sounded pathetic, even to his own ears. Harris jerked his chin and they both huffed, grabbing their things and headed towards different seats.

“Let me know if the separation anxiety gets to be too much.” Stiles scoffed loudly at him and stared wistfully out of the window, wondering what Derek was doing at that moment.

“Hey, I think they found something.” Someone shouted and everyone crowded the windows. They watched as the paramedics wheeled someone towards the ambulance.

“That's not a rabbit.” Stiles whispered, clutching at Scott’s jacket. The man on the gurney jumped up and everyone screamed. Stiles backed away rapidly, staring in horror as they tried to load the man into the car. “Okay. This is good, this is good. He got up, he's not dead. Dead guys can't do that.” Stiles repeated, trying to reassure himself. It wasn’t working.

“Stiles—”

“—I did that.” Stiles whispered, staring at his best friend in horror.

~~~

Scott had eventually calmed Stiles down and they were able to finish chemistry and then head through the lunch line without incident.

“But dreams aren't memories.” Scott frowned as they took their seats, watching Erica and Janice in the line.

“Then it wasn't a dream. Something happened last night, and I can't remember what.” Stiles frowned, squeezing his orange and watching Erica warily. It was an old habit, he got into since the first time she seized in front of him. He felt oddly protective of her. “I’ve heard it happens that you replace something so horrible with something slightly less…”

“How is you killing the man you’re in love with, less horrible than killing a stranger?” Scott frowned.

“Ugh! I don’t know Scott, okay?! I don’t know!”

“We'll figure it out.” Scott said reassuringly.

“Figure what out?” They looked up to see Lydia setting her tray at their table and sitting down. Wow…Stiles had gotten to the point that he didn’t even notice her presence anymore. Interesting.

“Just, uh, homework.” Scott said, covering for their momentary lapse of thought as more members of Lydia's clique joined them at the table.

“Yeah.” Stiles nodded before furiously whispering towards Scott. “Why is she sitting with us?” Scott shrugged but Allison’s arrival soon answered that question.

“Get up.” Stiles scowled as Jackson kicked his friend out of the seat by Lydia. Stiles smiled at Danny who had taken the seat next to him. Danny grimaced and looked away. Dick. They were on the lacrosse team together. Coach even mentioned trying to pair them up romantic styles. Stiles huffed and watched as Jackson’s ‘friend’ protested.

“How come you never ask Danny to get up?”

“Because I don't stare at his girlfriend's coin slot.” Stiles shuddered and turned back to see Scott and Allison making lovey faces. His frown deepened.

“So I hear they're saying it's some type of animal attack.” Danny said, tearing a chunk out of his apple. Stiles rolled his eyes, tearing at his orange peel with maybe a little tiny bit of claw to help the way. “Probably a cougar.”

“I heard mountain lion.” Jackson said, reclining in the small chair. Stiles sighed and abandoned his orange. The strong smell was a little too much for his werewolf senses.

“A cougar is a mountain lion.” Lydia snapped. Stiles smirked at the waves of annoyance and frustration coming from her. “Isn't it?” She asked coyly, a moment later, playing dumb like always.

“Who cares? The guy's probably some homeless tweaker who's gonna die anyway.”

“Actually, I just found out who it is.” Stiles said, after fiddling with his phone. “Check it out.” They all leaned in to watch the new report and Stiles had to hide a wince at the sudden rush on his senses. They were all wearing some kind of perfume or body spray or cologne and their hearts were all thumping temptingly. Stiles shuddered and reigned the wolf back in, focusing on the phone.

“The Sheriff's department won't speculate on details of the incident but confirmed the victim, Garrison Meyers, did survive the attack. Meyers was taken to a local hospital where he remains in critical condition.” Stiles smiled at the clip of his dad scowling at the bus.

“I know this guy.” Scott frowned. They looked at him in confusion.

“You do?”

“Yeah, when I used to take the bus back when I lived with my dad. He was the driver.” Stiles frowned…why would he attack Scott’s bus driver? That makes no sense.

“Can we talk about something slightly more fun, please?” Stiles winced at Lydia’s prattling voice. God couldn’t she talk normal for once? “Like, oh, where are we going tomorrow night? You said you and Scott were hanging out tomorrow night, right?” She smiled, turning to stare at Allison.

“Um, we were thinking of what we were gonna do.” Scott looked at Stiles, desperate for help.

“Well, I am not sitting home again watching lacrosse videos,” This was directed at Jackson who was staring at his girlfriend in mounting horror. “So if the four of us are hanging out, we are doing something fun.”

“Hanging out? Like, the four of us?” Stiles was hit by another wave of pity for how dumb Scott could be. “Do you wanna hang out, like us and them?” Scott frowned at Allison, giving her his puppy dog eyes.

“Yeah, I guess. Sounds fun.” What? Allison was immune to the puppy dog look? Maybe she just took it the wrong way?

“You know what else sounds fun? Stabbing myself in the face with this fork.” Jackson spat, brandishing his silverware for all to see. Stiles laughed right as Lydia took the fork away from Jackson. The others looked at him in shock and he blinked before realizing that he’d just laughed at something Jackson said. Miracles never do cease.

“How 'bout bowling? You love to bowl.” Lydia smiled at Jackson winningly. Jackson loved to bowl? Dumbass.

“Yeah, with actual competition.” Jackson growled.

“How do you know we're not actual competition?” Allison challenged. Stiles smirked. “You can bowl, right?” She turned to Scott who still had that deer in the headlights look from when Allison declined the puppy eyes.

“Sort of.” Stiles watched amused as Jackson challenged him and Scott declared himself to be a great bowler. 

Stiles felt waves of anger and irritations and turned to see Erica and Janice giving him betrayed looks. He shrugged helplessly and they scowled and trudged off to go sit by...Baird? Boyle? Boyd? Was that his name? Stiles had no clue. Loner whose name starts with B looked surprised and slightly grateful to have people sitting with him. Stiles was happy for the guy. Maybe he and Erica would get alone. The silent ones were always scary right? And Erica was pretty fucked up once you got to know her. They'd be perfect together.

Stiles was interrupted from his musings by the bell ringing and everyone getting up to go to class.

“You're a terrible bowler.” He said to Scott as they made their way to their next class, resuming the previous conversation.

“I know! I'm such an idiot.”

“God, it was like watching a car wreck. I mean, first it turned into the whole group date thing. And then out of nowhere comes that phrase.” Stiles emphasized this by waving his arms at Scott.

“Hanging out.” Scott finished, groaning in frustration. Stiles was glad that even though his life was going to hell because he was a werewolf and he may have just killed a man, he could have a normal life. Full of listening to Scott freak out and completing his sentences in equal measurements.

“You don't hang out with hot girls, okay? It's like death." Stiles hissed. "Once it's hanging out, you might as well be her gay best friend.” Stile paused. “Oh my god. Am I her gay best friend?” Stiles and Allison hardly knew each other but still....

“What? No. I haven’t told Allison that you’re gay or bi or whatever.” Scott blinked at him.

“Awe. Bestie. Got my back.” Stiles smirked. “But Jackson knows so it’s going to get out sooner or later. Danny and I can start hanging out.”

“How is this happening?” Scott groaned, ruffling his bushy hair. "Wait...Jackson knows? Why does Jackson know?"

“I don't think Danny likes me very much.” Stiles mused. “Am I not attractive to gay guys?” Scott sighed heavily and walked of, ignoring Stiles shouting after him.

~~~

Stiles hopped out of his jeep and glanced at his phone to see several text messages from Scott. Apparently the Sheriff and Dr. Deaton had had a very interesting conversation at the clinic about wolves' memories and attack methods and what not. Such as hobbling its ankles. Like Stiles did to Derek at one point in his 'dream'.  
Stiles sighed and let himself into his house only to walk into a solid wall of Derek Hale. “Oof.” Stiles grunted, bouncing back and blinking at the man in front of him.

“You said you’d explain later. It’s later. Explain.” Derek's eyebrows furrowed and Stiles was momentarily distracted. The right eyebrow twitched and Stiles blinked sheepishly.

“Geeze. In a minute.” He sighed, closing the door and heading towards the kitchen. Stiles sat down and began to explain everything that had happened from the dream to the bus driver to the texts Scott just sent him. While he talked Derek puttered around the kitchen and it took Stiles a minute to realize that he was making tacos for dinner. His heart fluttered and Derek blushed but Stiles continued on with the explanation.

“So…you think you attacked the driver?” Derek mused quietly and Stiles turned to him. “I thought I heard you get up…”

“Did you see what I did last night?” Stiles desperately wanted to have maybe just witnessed the attack, not participated in it.

“No. I fell back asleep. Thought you were just going to the bathroom or something, didn't think much of it.” Stiles groaned and dropped his head onto the table. Derek slid him a sandwich that Stiles hadn’t even noticed he made and sat down next to him at the table. “I can show you how to control the shift, even on a full moon...but I can't really show you how to remember. I think you’re going to need to go back to the bus. Go inside. See it, feel it. Let your senses-your sight, smell, touch-let them remember for you.” Derek said, fiddling with the salt shaker.

“That's it? Just-just go back?” Stiles frowned, absently noticing that Derek had a little stubble. Derek shrugged, saying that nothing like this had ever happened to him. Stiles sighed and they ate an after school snack together before Stiles headed upstairs to do his homework.

~~~

Derek dropped him off at the school that night before heading over to do who knows what, saying he'd be back in a minute. This was sooo not a good idea. Stiles groaned as he hopped the fence. But as he approached the buses he did remember what happened.

He’d been tossing and turning in his bed and then there was howling. But that didn't make sense. Derek never said anything about there being howling last night. But it had happened and Stiles was up and out of his bed, wolfed out and ready to attack. 

Stiles entered the bus, shocked by the images that flashed in his mind of Derek getting attacked. He shuddered and the images changed to that of the bus driver. Stiles gasped before venturing further down the bus. He remembered all of it now. He’d tried to help the man. But the alpha was there and he had attacked the bus driver. And then Stiles.

Loud honking ripped him out of his memories and he looked up to see the security guard patrolling the parking lot. Stiles swore and raced out of the bus, jumping on top of the guard’s car and somersaulting over the fence, landing and racing towards Derek’s Camaro. He dove into the passenger side and Derek was peeling out of the drive before Stiles even had the door closed. Stiles gasped and turned to see Scott sitting in the back seat.

“What are you doing here?” He spluttered.

“I went to the hospital. Had to officially I.D Laura’s body.” Derek grunted, slowing down now that they were away from the school. “Scott was bringing his mom dinner…and trying to get her car.” Stiles laughed at Scott's pathetic attempt at that.

“Haha, yeah Scott has a group ‘date’ tomorrow with Allison and Jackson and Lydia.”

“Why did you say date like that?” Scott frowned.

“Is Lydia the one you’re in love with?” Derek asked casually and Stiles frowned at him. Derek was such a shitty actor. He acted like he didn’t care what the answer was but Stiles could tell he did. What with his werewolf powers and all.

“No. Well…I used to be like obsessed with her but now I don’t really feel anything towards her.” Stiles shrugged.

“The bus driver is dead.” Scott mentioned casually after a few moments of silence.

“What?!” Stiles screeched, turning to look at Derek for confirmation. Derek sighed and nodded, pulling up in front of Scott’s house. “What happened?”

“I wanted to ask him what happened last night and he…”

“He had a heart attack.” Scott supplied.

“Yikes…” Stiles whispered. “Well…I was right. I was there last night. But I wasn’t trying to kill the guy.” Derek’s bushy eyebrows rose. “I was trying to save him…from the alpha.”

“The alpha was there?” Derek hissed. “Shit. I know what this is.” Derek turned to Scott. “I’m sure Stiles will tell you all about it tomorrow.” Scott nodded and ducked out of the car. Derek pulled out of the driveway and headed back to the Stilinski house.

“It's a pack thing.” He said as he pulled into the drive.

“What do you mean? Like an initiation?” Stiles asked as they headed inside.

“You do the kill together.” Derek sighed, flopping onto the couch.

“What?!” Stiles choked.

“Usually it’s a pack run or something like that. The more archaic packs hunt.”

“Because ripping someone's throat out is a real bonding experience?” Stiles grumbled, climbing onto Derek’s lap, seeking comfort from his real pack.

“Yeah, but you didn't do it, which means you're not a killer.” Stiles smiled and curled up with Derek. Sheriff Stilinski came home later that night to find some tacos waiting for him on the kitchen table and two worn out kids asleep in front of the T.V. together.

~~~

The next night found Stiles in unending agony: watching Scott play at bowling. Jackson, twat that he was, told Lydia about Stiles’ sexuality crisis which ended in her forcing him out on some kind of group date with them and Danny. Which Danny had not been happy about, at all. Stiles might have been on any other occasion, whether being there with Lydia or Danny but now he had a hot werewolf who basically said he was in love with him, waiting at home.

And he was bored. Scott was shit at bowling and Lydia was pretending to be bad so Jackson would put his hands all over her. Stiles could smell the resentment radiating off of Jackson. He’d never really thought about Lydia and Jackson having an unhealthy relationship. Though he supposed it made a sick kind of sense.   
Danny was actually a pretty cool guy but they didn’t really have a lot in common and Stiles wasn't really interested in computers like that. But he stored the information away anyways just in-case it became useful that Danny was a tech genius.

Stiles groaned when Allison told Scott to picture her naked. Gross. But it worked and Scott knocked down every pin. Stiles could smell...everything. He was getting nauseated. The kids smelt like arousal but the bowling alley...he didn't even want to think about what all those smells were. He'd almost passed out when they were getting bowling shoes. 

Danny bowled after Scott and got a decent score. Stiles sighed before knocking down every pin and heading to go get some nachos. He supposed the night wasn’t so bad. Danny was pleasant enough company. But Jackson and Lydia were annoying and Stiles didn’t trust Allison completely. She was too good to be true. Plus her dad was a psycho hunter and she might be one as well.

Stiles had to force himself not to laugh when Scott rejected Lydia’s attempts at getting him to help her, and to make Jackson jealous. Allison interrupted Stiles’ musings though.

“Hey isn’t that your friend Derek?” She asked. Stiles’ head whipped up to look at her and then to look and see a surlier that usual, Derek Hale approaching.  
“What the hell?” Scott asked in confusion.

“I think you mean what the Hale?” Stiles smirked. Derek and Scott shot him a twin disdainful looks.

“Get up.” Derek snapped at Danny who was up and over by Jackson in a heartbeat. And wow was that jealousy coming from Danny? Interesting. Derek dropped into the plastic chair next to Stiles and threw his arm around the chair behind him. To anyone else it would look like a casual gesture. Hell Jackson and Scott were both doing it. But no, it was a small token of pack comfort. Derek was distressed and he needed help. “So…bowling.” Derek hummed, rubbing his fingers through the short hairs on the back of Stiles' neck.

“Who the hell are you exactly?” Jackson snapped in irritation.

“Derek Hale.” Derek nodded curtly, before turning back to Stiles. “But honestly? Bowling? This is what kids are doing for fun these days? The last time I went bowling, I was twelve. And it was for a field trip.”

“And how old are you now?” Danny asked subtly. Phew that was a lot of hormones right there. Derek’s nose crinkled slightly but he smiled pleasantly.

“I’m twenty two.” the group struck up a casual conversation as Stiles heaved himself out of his seat; it was his turn. He hit a strike before dropping down next to Derek again.

“What happened?” He whispered, looking up at the beta as soon as everyone's attention was diverted.

“Argent.” Stiles bristled. “He threatened me, broke a window in my car. He said some nonsense about protecting his family.”

“Jesus, Derek.” Stiles hissed. “If he finds out you’re here…” Stiles looked pointedly at Allison.

“What can he do? I’m staying at the Sheriff’s house where it will definitely get noticed if I go missing…” Derek smirked.

“You’re devious.” Derek’s smirk widened. “It just really makes me wanna kiss you right now.” Stiles regretted the words as soon as they were out of his mouth.

“Stiles…” Derek sounded pained.

“I know, I know.” Stiles smiles warily, turning to watch the other teens play.

“Scott is shit at this.” Derek whispered, thankfully, changing the conversation. Stiles laughed and the others looked back at them curiously.

“So…Derek.” Lydia’s colored lips pursed on Derek’s name and he raised an eyebrow at her. “How do you and Stiles know each other?”

“I almost ran Stiles over with my car.” Four shocked faces greeted that statement. Stiles snorted as they all looked at each other in confusion.

“Oh, my god.” Lydia gasped suddenly. “Are you two dating?” Danny seethed and Allison beamed. Stile wondered if Danny jealous that Stiles had Derek or if it was because Derek had Stiles? But at least Allison was happy for him. Jackson looked decidedly uninterested in the whole conversation.

“Derek’s staying with us for a while.” Stiles shrugged, changing the subject. Lydia’s eyes gleamed the way they did whenever she got a good puzzle to solve.

“Just till I find a place of my own.” Derek shrugged, glancing at their bowling scores.

“Okay, grumpy pants." Stiles smiled. "Go bowl. Show me what you’re made of.” Stiles said, gesturing for Derek to bowl in his place. Derek sighed before hefting up a bowling ball and carelessly hitting out a strike. The others cheered and Stiles smirked. He knew that Derek was using his werewolf powers to cheat; it's what Stiles had been doing.

“The fuck?” Stiles heard Jackson whisper. They continued playing for a while before they dispersed to put away their shoes and go home. Stiles overheard Jackson hissing at Scott in the arcade and frowned. Apparently Jackson suspected something was up but he thought it was with Scott. Stiles shared a look with Derek who rolled his eyes. 

Stiles smiled before heading out of the alley and into the clear night.

~~~

Okay so maybe Stiles did beat Scott to his house. And maybe he did a super cool somersault into the house, via the window. And maybe Melissa almost brained him with a baseball bat. And maybe there was a lot of screaming and flailing involved. 

No one could prove any of it….

Stiles was so glad that Derek was not there at that moment.

“Stiles, what the hell are you doing here?” Melissa snapped.

“What am I doing?” And wow did his voice really squeak like that? “God, do either of you even play baseball?”

“What?” the light flickered on and they turned to see Scott standing in the doorway like a confused puppy dog. “Can you please tell your friend to use the front door?”

“But we lock the front door. He wouldn't be able to get in.” Awe. Actual puppy Scott McCall. It warmed Stiles’ cruel and decidedly sarcastic heart.

“Yeah, exactly.” Melissa snapped. Ok, rude. “And, by the way, do either of you care that there's a police enforced curfew?”

“No.” The boys answered simultaneously.

“No? All right then. Well, you know what? That's about enough parenting for me for one night, so good night.” The boys laughed as she exited the room.

“So…Jackson thinks you’re the werewolf…that’s fun.”


	4. Magic Bullet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kate Argent arrives in town and is attacked by the Alpha. While fighting it, she shoots Derek. Now Scott has to get one of the special bullets she used to save Derek.

Stiles lurched awake and looked around, frowning; not fully understanding why he was awake. All he knew was that something jerked him awake…a pull of some kind. He felt more than heard Derek enter his room.

“Stiles get up.” Derek whispered, riffling through Stiles’ dresser.

“Why?” Stiles moaned, rolling over to watch the older wolf. Derek raised an eyebrow at him just as an angry howl pierced through the air. Stiles felt that pull again, only stronger as he jumped out of bed and took the jeans Derek was offering him. The alpha was summoning them. Or more specifically, Stiles. And the best way for Derek to get a chance at killing the alpha was to actually come face to snout with him.

“He’s been injured.” Derek supplied as Stiles shrugged on a hoody before catapulting out the window.

“Good.” Stiles hissed. He tended not to think too hard about the alpha, Stiles was a big fan of ignoring his problems, but he still resented the monster. The alpha had killed Laura and then drastically changed Stiles’ life. And sure Stiles was pretty much ok with the change it was the thought behind it. He hadn’t been asked. And that was not okay. Consent is cool! Stiles also happened to adore the moody beta running beside him. And if helping Derek kill the alpha would make Derek more into him…well that was just a bonus.

They got to the edge of town around the rail yards, just following the alpha’s pull, before they got any real trace of the alpha’s scent. Derek found a large puddle of fresh blood on the ground near one of the abandoned lumber mills.

“Look at the splatter, he’d been shot.” Derek nodded, pointing to said splatter. Stiles thought it was cute that Derek was teaching him tracking and everything, but hello, Sherriff’s kid? Stiles knows what different splatters mean.

“So who shot him?” Stiles asked. His question was answered for him when, a hundred feet away, a rifle cocked. If Stiles had actual wolf ears they would have flattened back when he caught sight of the thin blonde holding the assault rifle and eyeing the rooftops. Derek snarled lowly and yanked Stiles down harshly. Stiles turned to him in confusion to see Derek wolfed out and snarling silently at the woman. His eyes were glowing phosphorescent blue and shinning with hatred.

“If the alpha thinks he can kill her first…” Derek snarled, watching her like…well like a wolf.

“What?” Stiles’ question seemed to snap Derek back to reality and he turned to Stiles, fully human and hissed.

“Get out of here Stiles. This isn’t your fight.”

“Like hell it isn’t!” Stiles cried, indignant. And maybe that was a bit too loud because the blonde was looking in their direction now. Stiles pulled his hood up and crouched lower, shuddering at the crazy that was in her eyes.

“Look Stiles this isn’t about killing the alpha anymore. It’s about killing her.” Derek jerked his chin towards her.

“What?”

“Look I’ll explain everything. I promise but just leave. I don’t want you to see this…”

“Ok.” Stiles nodded before standing and running away. A gunshot rang out behind him and he shivered, running faster. One more gunshot. This time it didn’t sound like it was aimed at him. He turned back to look at the distant buildings, seeing another car pull up. Chris Argent stepped out and Stiles growled before turning and running again.

~~~

“Derek didn’t come home this morning.” Stiles frowned at Scott’s back.

“I’m sure he’s fine Stiles.”

“What if he got shot?!”

“Not this again.” Scott sighed and turned to look at him. “Last time it was ‘What if I murdered him?’ and you didn’t. So he’s probably not shot dude.” Stiles huffed and looked down at the test his teacher handed him. He shrugged at his grade and glanced up to see Scott’s. Wow. D.

“Dude, you need to study more.” Scott scowled at him and turned away. “That was a joke. Scott, it's one test. You're gonna make it up.” Stiles glanced back at his A and then back at Scott. “Do you want help studying?”

“No. I'm studying with Allison after school today.” Scott sounded resentful and pleased at the same time. Until Stiles was bitten he didn’t know people could feel such strange combinations of emotions at once. Scott resented that he needed help studying but he was pleased it was with Allison. Stiles was sure that there was going to be a lot of ‘studying.’

“That's my boy.” he smirked. Scott turned to him in confusion.

“We're just studying.”

“Uh, no, you're not.” Duh.

“No, I'm not?” There’s puppy Scott. Stiles hadn’t seen him in nearly two days. It was getting frightening.

“Not if I'm forced to live vicariously through you. If you go to her house today and squander that colossal opportunity, I swear to God I'll have you de-balled.” Stiles smirked. And then berated himself for saying de-balled instead of neutered. He did not deserve that A if de-balled was all he could come up with. Especially since Scott work at the vet. Neutered would have been better. Scott rolled his eyes at him and turned back around to pay attention to the teacher.

~~~

Derek didn’t reappear until the end of the school day when Stiles was pulling out of the parking lot. Derek popped up out of freaking nowhere and stood in front of the jeep, hand out like Stiles wouldn’t have stopped anyways.

“Oh, my God.” Stiles wheezed, trying to restart his heart as the line behind him started honking loudly. “What the hell?” Stiles’ panic returned as Derek rocked backwards and disappeared from his sightline ending up on the concrete.

“What are you doing here?” Scott yelled, running over to help. Stiles leapt out of the jeep and joined them on the pavement. Derek looked like hell. He was sweaty and sickly looking and his eyes were constantly flashing blue.

“I was shot.” Derek hissed and Stiles growled, eyes flashing as he looked around as if the shooting had happened recently.

“He's not looking so good, dude.” Scott frowned, feeling Derek’s forehead.

“Why aren't you healing?” Stiles whined, rubbing Derek’s shoulders in comfort. For himself or Derek he didn’t know.

“I can't.” Derek grit out through his teeth. And wow. You could hardly tell Derek had stubble before but now that he was paler it was obvious. “It was-it was a different kind of bullet.”

“A silver bullet?” And yup, thank you for that look Scott but Stiles had heard the excitement in his voice too.

“No, you idiot.” Derek growled.

“What are you doing? Stop that!” Scott yelped as Derek’s eyes flashed again. Scott may be accepting of Stiles’ werewolfitute and might be getting better at being nice to Derek but it still freaked him out.

“I'm trying to tell you, I can't!”

“Derek, get up!” Stiles frowned, trying to pull the other wolf up by himself. Why did Derek have to be so heavy? “Help me to put him in the car.” Scott nodded and they hefted up the wilting wolf and shoved him into the jeep.

“I need you to find out what kind of bullet they used.” Derek said, looking at Scott pitifully.

“How the hell am I supposed to do that?” Scott frowned, looking at the honking line behind them before turning back.

“'Cause she's an Argent. She's with them.” Scott paled but he nodded eventually and Stiles peeled out of the parking lot, trying to figure out what to do with a dying werewolf.

~~~

“Hey, try not to bleed out on my seats, okay?” Derek shot him a patronizing look and Stiles smiled. “We're almost there.”

“Almost where?” Derek’s eyebrows scrunched together adorably.

“Your house.”

“What? No, you can't take me there.”

“I’m not taking you to mine! Dad’s there. Why can’t I take you to your house?”

“I can't protect myself. And you’re no match for hunters, Stiles.”

“All right. What happens if Scott doesn't find your little magic bullet? Hmm? Are you dying?” Stiles pulled over and looked at Derek earnestly.

“Not yet.” Stiles’ heart skipped a beat. And not in the good way. “I have a last resort.”

“What do you mean? What last resort?” Stiles fumed as Derek rolled up his sleeve. “Oh, my God. What is that? Oh, is that contagious?” Stiles gagged at the scent coming from the older wolf’s wound. “You know what, you should probably just get out.” It was seriously disgusting. Or as Coach would say, profoundly disgusting.

“Start the car. Now.”

“I don't think you should be barking orders with the way you look, okay? In fact, I think if I wanted to, I could probably drag your little werewolf ass out into the middle of the road and leave you for dead.” Stiles growled. Derek giving orders is what had got him shot in the first place.

“Start the car, or I'm gonna rip your throat out-with my teeth.”

“Kinky.” Stiles smirked, starting the car and driving.

~~~

Allison looked surprised that he was there. He didn’t blame her but her surprise was nothing compared to Derek’s. Derek was currently wolfed out under some blankets in the back of the jeep while Stiles was here to help look for the bullet. Or something.

“Um…Stiles is here.” Allison said leading him back to her room, Stiles at her heels. Scott frowned at him in horror. Stiles had no doubt that he’d cockblocked them. Too fucking bad. Derek was dying and Scott was trying to bone his girlfriend, not help cure Derek.

“Is he okay?” Scott asked, immediately switching gear.

“No he’s not looking so good.” Stiles sighed.

“Who isn’t looking good?” Allison asked. God she was like sweetness incarnate. Stiles adored her and hated her at once.

“My dog.” He said, wincing, knowing that Derek would hear him. “…Wolfe.” Scott winced and Stiles smiled hesitantly.

“Oh, is he sick?” God bless the sweet angel that is Ally A.

“He…ate something last night...it’s poisoning him.” Stiles said with a meaningful look at Scott who shrugged helplessly. So no luck finding the bullet then. Allison gave him a sympathetic look. “I don’t know what I’m supposed to do with him?...He's starting to smell.”

“Like what?” Allison frowned.

“Like death.”

“Okay, take him to the animal clinic.” Scott said, scooting forward on Allison’s bed. And Stiles did not want to think about what they had been doing before he got there.

“But it’s closed right now.” Stiles frowned. The ‘What about your boss?’ went unspoken.

“There's a spare key in the box behind the dumpster.” Stiles smiled gratefully before turning tale and fleeing. 

~~~

So yeah. Derek was going to cut his arm off. No big deal. Damn it. Scott really needed to hurry up. The piercing trill of Stiles’ phone cut through the tense silence and Derek grabbed the phone as Stiles turned to look. “Did you find it?”

“I don’t know how you expect me to find one bullet.” Scott’s voice grumbled through the speakers. “They have a million. This house is like...the fricken Walmart of guns.”

“Look, if you don't find it, then I'm dead, all right?”

“I'm starting to think that wouldn't be such a bad thing.” Scott growled. Stiles snarled silently.

“Then think about this. The Alpha called Stiles out against his will. He's gonna do it again. Next time Stiles will either kill with him or get killed himself. So if you want your best friend to stay alive, then you need me. Find the bullet.” Derek growled before slamming the phone down on the metal table.

~~~

Stiles pulled up in front of the Argent’s house to see Scott helping them out with taking in the groceries. Scott had texted to inform him that he’d found the bullet but couldn’t get away. Stiles approached them just as Chris was taking the back of groceries from the asthmatic teen.

“Hey.” Scott nodded to Stiles as Allison came outside with her aunt. “You ready?” Stiles jerked his chin towards his jeep.

“Guess I'll see you later then?” Scott smiled and nodded at Allison. Stiles did not miss the incredible pout the girl had. God Scott was putty in her hands.

“At school.” Chris frowned. Stiles snorted and shoved his hands in his hoodie, belatedly realizing it was the same one from last night. God he hoped the blonde Argent didn’t recognize him. He glanced at Scott to realize he had a matching red hoodie on.

“Right.” Scott nodded, going towards his bike.

“Oh, come on, Chris. Really?” Stiles glanced at the blonde as she carried in the last of the groceries. “They were making out in the garage, not shooting amateur porn.” Stiles choked on a laugh.

“Oh my God. You were making out in the garage?” Allison blushed and Scott scowled at him.

“You, with the adorable brown eyes,” Stiles and Scott both blinked at Kate and she smiled. “Both of you. You're staying for dinner.” Their protests fell on deaf ears as Allison and Kate skipped inside. The boys looked at Chris pleadingly, begging to be sent home. Derek was dying and they didn’t have time to go to dinner.

“Do you eat meat?” They nodded mutely.

“You don't mind?” Scott was so scared. It was adorable. Stiles smirked, heading in after the girls.

“Actually, no. Gives us a chance to get to know each other.” Scott’s heart thudded and he gulped loudly. Stiles’ smirk widened as he entered the dining room.

~~~

“Would you like something to drink besides water, Scott?” Stiles looked across the table at Scott who was staring at Allison’s mom Victoria in fear. Stiles didn’t blame him. Kate and Chris were scary but Victoria was downright terrifying.

“Oh…No, I'm good. Thanks.” Scott smiled.

“We can get you some beer?” everyone looked at Chris in shock and confusion.

“N-no, thanks.” Scott stuttered.

“Shot of Tequila?” Stiles smirked.

“Dad. Really?” Allison scowled. Kate smirked.

“You don't drink, Scott?”

“I'm not old enough to.”

“That doesn't seem to stop many teenagers.” Victoria smiled, sipping her wine.

“No, but it should.” Scott rushed out.

“Good answer. Total lie, but well played, Scott. You may yet survive the night.” Kate smiled at the boy and Stiles busied himself with eating his meal. This was one hell of an awkward dinner. Especially for a third wheel.

“You ever smoke pot?”

“Okay,” they gaped at Chris in horror. “Changing the channel to something a little less conservative. So, Scott, uh… Allison tells us you're on the lacrosse team. I'm sorry. I don't know anything about that. How do you play?” That was a lie. Stiles heard it. She knew about lacrosse. Stiles hated people that lied in casual conversation. It meant that lying was something they were so good at that they hardly even noticed they were doing it. It meant they were hiding something.

“Um, well, you know hockey? It's a lot like that, only, um, played on grass instead of ice.”

“Hockey on grass…is called field hockey.” Stiles snorted just as he took a sip of his own water and he ended up inelegantly coughing all over his dinner.

“Oh. Yeah.” Scott said mutely. Kate smirked, patting Stiles heavily on the back. He nodded at her in thanks trying to ignore the way his wolf wanted to rip her hand off for touching him.

“So it's like field hockey, except the sticks have nets.” Allison said, coming to Scott’s rescue.

“Exactly.” Scott nodded furiously.

“And can you slap check like in hockey?” Kate asked.

“Um…yeah. But it's only the, uh, the gloves and the sticks.”

“Sounds violent. I like it.” Stiles shuddered and stared at his food, trying to pretend he wasn’t there.

“Scott's amazing too. Dad came with me to the first game. Wasn't he good?” Allison asked. What a good girlfriend.

“He was fine.” Wow Chris did not like Scott.

“He scored the last shot, the winning shot.”

“True.” Chris conceded, sipping his own wine.

“His last shot ripped a hole through the goalie's net. It was incredible.”

“Well, I think the goalie was probably playing with a defective stick, so-” his sentence trailed off and they all sat there uncomfortably.

“You know, on second thought, um, I think I'll take that shot of Tequila.” Scott effectively disrupted the tension.

“Stiles aren’t you on the lacrosse team as well?” Chris asked. Stiles blinked, not expecting to have been in the conversation.

“Um, yeah. Scott and I used to be bench buddies but we’re both first line this year, so…”

“Scott couldn’t have scored without you. Neither could Jackson.” Allison smiled. “You were so fast.”

“Well,” Stiles shrugged awkwardly.

“You seemed pretty cozy with Derek Hale, after the game. How do you know him?” Chris asked. And just like that the tension was back.

“Hmm?” Stiles looked away from Scott’s stricken eyes. “Well Derek lives with me.”

“Does he?” Stiles glanced at Kate to see her eyeing him speculatively. She smelt of anger, intrigue and jealousy. Interesting. Stiles filed that away to answer her question.

“Yeah well, it’s kind of sad. Someone murdered his sister so he’s sticking around until my dad finds who did it and well…he doesn’t really have a house anymore...” Pride. She was smug about the fact that Derek’s whole family had burned to the ground and oh my God she killed them didn’t she?

“Everyone was just saying it's a mountain lion.” Scott frowned, cluing Stiles in on his mistake. He shrugged and sipped his water.

“It'd have to be a pretty large mountain lion.” Kate snorted. That evil bitch.

“What do you think, Scott?” Victoria asked, ignoring her sister in law.

“I don't know. We usually get cats and dogs at the vet. Nothing that vicious.” Scott smiled weakly.

“Never had to deal with a rabid dog?” Scott shook his head. “Oh. I grew up with a lot of dogs. I saw one get rabies from a bat.” Stiles’ eyebrow went up. “It was transferred through the bite.” Yup they were definitely not talking about dogs. “You know, people think that a rabid dog just suddenly goes mad. It's a lot more gradual. First stage is subtle changes in behavior; they're restless, morose. It's the second stage that people know, the furious phase. That's when they attack. And we're talking any moving object.” Scott gulped and Stiles kicked him under the table. They needed to get the fuck out of this psycho house. “Did you know that a caged rabid dog will break its own teeth, trying to chew through the bars? It'll even rear back and snap its own spine.” Stiles flinched and Chris turned his level look to him. “Can you imagine the amount of force it would take to do that? It's a complete character reversal. This harmless animal, turned into a perfectly vicious killer. And it all started with that one bite.”

“But it died, didn't it?” Allison asked. Oh God she’s heard this story before and she still thinks its about dogs? Dumb girl. Or maybe it was willful ignorance.

“Yes, because your grandfather shot it.” Victoria smirked. Oh God they were all hunters.

“Because he wanted to put it out of its misery.”

“Because it was too dangerous. Something that out of control is better off dead.” Stiles and Scott shared a horrified look before glancing at Allison.

~~~

“I'm so incredibly sorry.” Allison was saying as they headed for the door. Stiles ducked out, hefting Scott’s bike and putting it in the back of his jeep, while still listening to their conversation.

“For what?”

“For that being the worst, most horribly awkward dinner ever in the history of horribly awkward dinners.”

“No. Uh, it wasn't the worst. There was this one dinner where my parents told me they were getting a divorce. This comes in at a close second...Your dad's watching.”

“Good.” Stiles glanced up to see the couple kissing. Gross. He had just re-entered the house when Kate came towards them.

“Wait a second, guys.” Stiles scowled at her.

“What is it?” Stiles thought it was so adorable how innocent Allison was.

“Uh, I have to ask Scott something.”

“Me?” Scott’s eyebrows disappeared into his mop of hair.

“Yeah, you.”

“Okay.”

“What'd you take from my bag?”

“What?” Stiles pinched Scott’s back; he could hear his friend’s heart thudding away.

“My bag. What'd you take from it? Do you need me to repeat the question, maybe enunciate more clearly?” Oh what a bitch. Stiles just wanted to rip her throat out.

“What are you talking about?” Chris asked, approaching them curiously.

“My bag was open in the guest room, and when I left it was shut. And Scott comes in to use the bathroom, he leaves, my bag's open.”

“He didn't take-” Allison started.

“Something was taken from my bag. Now, look-I hate to be the accuser here, Scott, because I really do love those adorable brown eyes, but I don't know if you're a klepto, if you're curious, or, or if you're just stupid.” Stiles scowled and Chris quirked an eyebrow at him. “But answer the question. What did you take?”

“Nothing. I swear.”

“You don't mind proving it, do you?”

“Are you serious?” Allison gasped.

“How about you show us what's in your pockets?”

“Dad?” Allison was pleading.

“Come on, Scott. Prove me wrong.” Fight me. That was what she was really saying. And oh, Stiles wanted to.

“I'll prove you wrong.” Allison snapped, cocking her hip to the side. “Uh, it wasn't Scott going through your bags. It was me.”

“You?” Chris and Kate said at the same time.

“Mm-hmm,” Allison smirked, pulling a condom out of her pocket. Scott looked mortified.

“Oh my God.” Stiles cackled at the look on Chris’ face.

~~~

Scott and Stiles raced into the clinic to see Derek with his arm bound and bone saw cutting through the flesh. He hadn’t hit the bone yet, which was good but there was still a lot of blood and it was disgusting.

“Oh my God!” Stiles cried in horror. Derek pulled back and looked at them in surprise.

“Did you get it?” Scott nodded, pulling the bullet out of his pocket. Derek nodded before doubling over and vomiting black slick everywhere.

“What is that?”

“My body is trying to heal itself.”

“It’s not working.” Stiles pointed out unhelpfully as Scott handed over the bullet. Derek pulled the bullet apart with his teeth and the teens watched in morbid fascination as he lit the contents on fire. They sparked up in a short but tall burst of flames and they gasped. Derek scooped up the powder and poured in into the bullet hole on his arm, shoving his finger into the wound to push it in. Derek collapsed onto the ground and shuddered for a few moments before the wound miraculously cleared up.

“God!” Stiles cheered. “That. Was. Awesome! Yes!”

“Are you okay?” Scott asked, helping Derek up.

“Except for the agonizing pain?” Derek frowned, pulling off the rubber tourniquet.

“I'm guessing the ability to use sarcasm is a good sign of health.” Derek scowled and Stiles smirked right back. Stiles went in for a hug but Derek jerked back violently.

“You smell like her.” He growled, eyes flashing. Stiles blinked in confusion.

“Allison?” Stiles asked in shock.

“No…Kate.” Derek grit the words out like they caused him pain. Oh. Right.

“Kate seemed nice.” Scott said casually. Stiles and Derek looked at him in horror.

“I can show you exactly how nice Kate is.” Derek growled.

~~~

“What are we doing here?” Scott asked as they walked into Beacon Hills Memorial Hospital. Derek just led them to a certain hospital room and clicked on the light.

“Who is he?” Scott asked, looking at the unblinking man in the wheelchair.

“My uncle.” Stiles whined and looked at Derek in shock. “Peter Hale.”

“Is he…like you, a werewolf?”

“He was. Now he's barely even human.” Derek was definitely a master of poetic drama Stiles thought. “Six years ago, my sister and I were at school, and our house caught fire. 11 people were trapped inside. He was the only survivor.”

“So…that makes you so sure that Kate set the fire?” Scott asked. Stiles sighed, wrapping his arms around Derek from behind.

“'Cause She was one of the only ones that knew about us.”

“Well, then…she had a reason.” Scott insisted weakly. Oh. Wow. That’s what Derek’s betrayed face really looks like.

“Like what? You tell me what justifies this.” Derek asked turning his uncle’s chair to show the burns on the right side of his face. “They say they'll only kill an adult, and only with absolute proof, but there were people in my family that were perfectly ordinary in that fire. There were children there. This is what they do. And it's what Allison will do.” Scott balked at that just as the nurse entered and kicked them out. They were silent as they drove back to the Stilinski household. Scott was dropped off at his own house before the wolves arrived home and quietly ate dinner in the dark.

“How did Kate know about your family?” Stiles asked quietly. He had a hunch. He just hoped he was wrong.

Derek was quiet for a very long time before he answered. 

“She was kinda my girlfriend.”


	5. The Tell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's another animal attack, this time witnessed by Jackson and Lydia, raising more questions about wild animals. Meanwhile, Scott and Allison skip school and Derek must deal with the werewolf hunters on his own.

Derek slept in Stiles’ room that night, on top of Stiles’ back. He said he wanted to rid the smell of Kate from Stiles’ skin. Stiles suspected he was also trying to make Stiles smell more like pack again, while also comforting himself after his ordeal. Stiles didn’t really care as long as he got a sleeping buddy. Stiles was incredibly grateful for werewolf super strength because Derek would have probably crushed him in his sleep, like a Stiles pancake, without it. He was also incredibly grateful that at no point in time did his a dad find him and Derek smushed up together in bed…which would have been beyond awkward.   
Stiles slept better that night than he had in a long time. It was a god sleep. Better, even, than the kind of sleep you get after a good orgasm.

~~~

Stiles and Derek were squabbling loudly in the police cruiser, squished together in the front seat. Sherriff Stilinski snorted and started going through his take out bag again. Stiles squawked indignantly at something Derek either said or did and the older boy mimicked him sarcastically. John snorted at their antics; he hadn’t known Derek long but he had Stiles got on a like a house on fire. John cringed at his choice of metaphor, sparing the only surviving Hale a glance, grateful the boy couldn’t read minds or something.

“Did they forget my curly fries?” John asked, reaching the bottom of the bag and coming up empty. Stiles twisted around on the seat immediately and turned to level a raised eyebrow at him.

“You're not supposed to eat fries, especially the curly ones.” Stiles snorted. John’s eyebrow went up as Stiles and Derek simultaneously shoved a handful of curly fries into their mouths.

“Well, I'm carrying a lethal weapon. If I want the curly fries, I will have the curly fries.”

“If you think getting rid of contractions in all your sentences makes your argument any more legitimate, you-are-wrong.” Stiles retorted with no small amount of sass. Derek’s eyes flickered back and forth between to two Stilinskis as he bit into his sandwich. John wasn’t exactly sure what the boys had been doing when they showed up at the station but one thing lead to another and suddenly they were squeezing into the front of the police cruiser and heading to get dinner.

The Sherriff’s musings were cut short as his radio fizzled to life and shrieked static before becoming words. Derek winced. Whether at the sound or the fact that Stiles just shoved a ridiculous amount of fires into his mouth, John didn’t know.

“Unit one, do you copy?” Jack’s voice crackled through the speakers. John grabbed his radio to answer.

“Unit one, copy.”

“Got a report of a possible 187.” Dispatch answered. Stiles swerved to look at his dad in a macabre sort of thrill.

“A murder?” He asked around a mouthful of fries. Derek grimaced and John sighed, acknowledged Jack’s report and drove them to the crime scene, complaining about hungry boys. Stiles was bouncing up and down in excitement the whole time. Derek simply went back to eating his sandwich and ignored the boney teen flailing about the place. 

The Sherriff wondered about Derek’s unique ability to not be fazed by the teen. It took most people years to build up that kind of immunity. Derek had gotten it immediately. John assumed it had happened sometime in the first weekend the two kids hung out, the weekend that seemed to spark Stiles’ sexual identity crisis.  
“Stay here.” John sighed heavily, pointing a stern finger at Stiles as he pulled into the video store parking lot. “Paul, let's get this area locked up.” John said to one of his deputies as he approached the teens in the ambulance.

“Oh, no way.” Stiles smirked with a sick glee, leaning over Derek’s lap to press his face to the window and watch Jackson Bitchmore throwing a bitch fit.

“Why the hell can't I just go home? I'm fine.” He bitched. Derek snorted, licking some sauce off his thumb as they eavesdropped on the conversation outside the cruiser.

“I hear ya, but the EMT says you hit your head pretty hard. They just wanna make sure you don't have a concussion.” John said with the tone of someone who had to deal with assholes like Jackson a lot. Which was a lie because most of Beacon Hills was actually pretty nice.

“What part of ‘I'm fine’ are you having a problem grasping?” Jackson sneered. Stiles rolled his eyes. “Okay, I wanna go home.”

“And I understand that.” John said placatingly.

“No, you don't understand, which kind of blows my mind, since it should be a pretty basic concept to grasp for a minimum-wage rent-a-cop like you!” Stiles growled low in his throat as Jackson yelled into his dad’s face. “Okay, now, I wanna go home!” Stiles growled some more before completely surprising Derek and dashing out of the car before the older wolf had a chance to react.

“Oh, whoa, is that a dead body?” Stiles gaped, distracted as they wheeled out the body of the video store clerk, his hand dropping off the side of the gurney like in every movie Stiles had ever seen. John sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose as Stiles and Derek meandered about the crime scene. He could physically feel the anger Jackson was feeling at having witnesses he knew watching his freak out.

“Everybody back up.” John said, shooing the boys and a few other bystanders away from the yellow tape being put up. “Back up.”

“I get that he's killing people, but I don't get why.” Stiles whispered to Derek, watching as they swept the surrounding area for any clues. “I mean, this isn't standard practice, right? We don't go out in the middle of the night murdering everyone, do we?” He turned to Derek for reassurance to find Derek watching Jackson warily.

“No. We're predators. We’re not killers.”

“Then why is he a killer?” Stiles growled. “Is it personal? Does he really just fucking hate video store clerks?”

“That's what we're gonna find out.” Stiles snorted, knowing that they didn’t really have any leads at all about the psycho alpha werewolf. “You have less than a week until the full moon.” Derek murmured suddenly, kneading at the skin on the back of Stiles’ neck making him go all pliant. “If you don't kill with him, he’ll kill you.”

“Okay, seriously?” Stiles whined. “Who made up these rules?”

“It's a rite of passage into the pack.” Stiles’ scent colored with confusion and Derek answered before he even had a chance to ask the question. “Yes all packs do it. The hunt. It’s almost never a hunt for a human victim. It’s usually a deer or something small. Something no one will miss.” Stiles nodded to himself, watching a distraught Lydia yell at an embarrassed and angry Jackson.

“Why can't you just sniff him out when he's a human?” It had been bothering him for weeks and he desperately needed an answer.

“Because his human scent could be entirely different. Scents can be changed, hidden. Sometimes your human scent is vastly different from your Were scent.” Stiles nodded, filing the part about hiding your scent, away for later. “It has to be you. You have a connection with him, a link that you can't understand fully. If I can teach you to control your abilities, you can find him.”

“You can stop him?” Stiles asked, leaning back into Derek’s hands. Derek smiled and started rubbing his shoulders.

“Not alone. We're stronger in numbers. A pack makes the individual more powerful.” Stiles’ wolf hummed in approval and he leaned back against Derek’s chest. Derek wrapped his arms around him and they continued to watch what the Sheriff was doing. John looked up from Lydia Martin’s hysterics and frowned at Derek and Stiles. 

The two boys had adamantly denied being a couple yet everything about them said differently. Like now where Derek was practically cuddling Stiles from behind, resting his chin on Stiles’ shoulder while Stiles leaned into him. There had been a lot of cuddling and lingering touches and who knew what going on between those two, as well as that very public display of attention at Stiles’ last lacrosse game.

John had no idea what was going on between those two and whether he should put a stop to it or not. He sighed again and turned back to see Whitmore bitching at one of his deputies. John finally understood why Stiles hated the kid so much.

~~~

So…apparently Allison was 17 and was such a goody two shoes that she’d never skip a day of school in her life. Scott convinced her to ditch as a sort of birthday present and Stiles felt oddly proud for his little Scott being able to corrupt Allison. But that didn’t mean he was going to forgive those shits for leaving him alone at school. Erica and Janice were ignoring him because suddenly he and Scott were “popular.” So he didn’t really have anyone to talk to. He was sort of glad though, that they were making new friends. Boyd seemed happy about it too, having gotten used to not sitting alone anymore.

“Just a friendly reminder,” Stiles’ lip curled as Mr. Harris droned on. “Parent/teacher conferences are tonight. Students below a C average are required to attend. I won't name you, because the shame and self-disgust should be more than enough punishment.” Stiles’ lip curl became a full sneer as Harris fixed his beady gaze on him. “Has anyone seen Scott McCall?” Stiles rolled his eyes and started highlighting random passages in his textbook. “Hey, Jackson.” Harris’ voice went all sweet when he was talking to the school’s lacrosse star. “If you need to leave early for any reason, you let me know.” Jackson nodded meekly. “Everyone, start reading Chapter Nine.” Harris said loud enough that everyone that didn’t have super hearing could hear. “Mr. Stilinski. Try putting the highlighter down between paragraphs. It's chemistry, not a coloring book.” Stiles sneered before spitting the cap into the air and catching it with his left hand.

Stiles glanced at the back of Danny’s head and hummed. He hadn’t really seen Danny since Lydia and Allison made him go on that weird triple date with him. And Danny hadn’t really been paying him too much attention the whole date…at least not until Derek showed up.

“Hey, Danny. Can I ask you a question?” Stiles asked, leaning forward on his stool.

“No.” Danny snapped, writing something in his notebook.

“Well, I'm going to anyway.” He smirked at the waves of annoyance rolling off of the teen. He’d realized something; he hadn’t seen Miss Lydia Martin, Queen of Beacon Hills High at all that day. “Um, did Lydia show up in your homeroom today?”

“No.” Danny rolled his eyes and Stiles smirked again. Jackson had tried to spread the rumor about Stiles’ gayness around the school. Unfortunately almost no one believed him; they all knew about Stiles’ long standing crush on Lydia. They probably just assumed Jackson was being an ass and trying to get back at Stiles for messing up his shoulder.

“Can I ask you another question?” Danny’s shoulders stiffened and Stiles felt like bursting with sadistic glee.

“Answer's still no.” He snapped, annoyed beyond belief.

“Does anyone know what happened to her and Jackson last night?”

“He wouldn't…tell me.” Ooohoo Stiles could smell the jealousy and hurt and it was delicious.

“But he's your best friend.” Danny shrugged. “One more question.”

“What?” Danny whirled around to stare at Stiles.

“Do you find me attractive?” Stiles asked innocently. Danny’s eyebrows scrunched and his scent went from annoyed and angry to confused in 0.5 seconds.

“Umm…” Danny’s heart sped up and he looked around the room nervously. Fortunately for Danny, Harris yelled at them to get back to work and he was saved from answering. Unfortunately for Danny, Stiles was a werewolf and he’d gotten the answer without needing the words. He smirked and went back to his textbook, feeling gleeful.

~~~

Stiles was in the showers after lacrosse practice when he heard something heavy slam into one of the locker doors. He didn’t think anything of it; he was surrounded by hormonal teenagers, and continued to lather his hair.

“I-I don't know where Stiles is.” Jackson’s whinny voice reached Stiles’ ears as he rinsed his hair out. Frowning, he focused his senses and realized Jackson was talking to Derek.

“I'm not here for Stiles. I'm here for you.” Stiles frowned.

“Wh-wh-why me? I-I didn't do anything.” Jackson stuttered, heart beating fast and reeking of fear.

“No, but you saw something, didn't you?” Derek hummed dangerously. Stiles blushed at the spike in his arousal levels that voice made.

“No, I didn't-I didn't see anything.”

“What was it, hmm?” Stiles could practically hear Derek’s eyebrows bounce. “An animal? A mountain lion?”

“I didn't see anything.” Jackson sounded more like he was trying to convince himself. “I swear. I'm-I'm not lying.”

“Then calm down and say it again.” Derek growled. Stiles hummed and poked his head out of the shower to see Derek crowding Jackson in against the lockers.

“Say what? That I'm not lying?” Stiles was pleased to smell that Jackson was hiding a fear boner underneath his anger and confusion. He always knew Jackson also had a thing for guys. He probably had a thing with Danny once upon a time. It would explain a lot actually. Jackson’s heart rabbited and Stiles smirked while Derek frowned.

“Tell me that you didn't see anything. Slowly.”

“I didn't-see anything. I'm not lying.” Jackson said slowly, heartbeat fast but steady. Derek nodded before pulling back.

“One more thing.” Derek leaned in again and grabbed a fistful of Jackson’s hair. Jackson closed his eyes and swallowed loudly, fear permeating the locker room Derek yanked Jackson’s head to the side and rubbed a finger against the back of Jackson’s neck. “You should really get that checked out.” Derek turned and left the locker rooms. Jackson turned to watch him go and Stiles caught sight of four large claw marks in the back of his neck. 

“Your boyfriend’s a freak Stilinski.” Jackson hissed, grabbing his bag and glaring at Stiles. Stiles shrugged before heading back into the showers.

~~~

After witnessing that extremely weird attempt to get information out of Jackson, Stiles decided he should go see what Lydia knew. With less seductive threats and maiming in a boys locker room though. “Honey, there's a Stiles here to see you.” Lydia’s mom called from up the stairs and Stiles fidgeted.

“What the hell is a ‘Stiles’?” Lydia asked rolling over on her bed as Stiles came in. she was clad in scant lingerie and she looked absolutely fucking stoned.

“She took a little something to ease her nerves.” Mrs. Martin said, answering Stiles’ questioning glance. “You can go in.”

“What are you doing here?” Lydia grumbled, wiping at her already smeared makeup.

“I was just making sure you were okay.”

“Why?” Lydia hummed before patting her bed for Stiles to sit.

“Because I was worried about you today.” Stiles answered, not mentioning the fact that he hadn’t even noticed she wasn’t there till half the day was gone. He lowered himself down next to her and smiled. “How are you feeling?”

“I feel-fantastic.” Lydia smirked waving a manicured hand at the collection of pill bottles on her nightstand.

“Oh.” Stiles hummed before smirking at the dazed girl. “I bet you can't say, uh, ‘I saw Suzy sittin' in a shoeshine shop’ ten times fast.”

“I saw Shuzy-I shaw-I saw-” Lydia immediately set herself to the task, getting more and more frustrated before shuddering and whimpering, glancing at her phone. “I saw…I saw-” Stiles had no doubt that she was talking about the movie store instead of the rhyme.

“What? Lydia, what did you see?”

“Something.”

“Something like-Like a mountain lion?” Stiles asked, fishing for answers.

“A mountain lion.” Lydia said, immediately latching onto what he said.

“Are you sure you saw a mountain lion, or are you just saying that because that's what the police told you?”

“A mountain lion.” She hummed, rubbing her face in the pillows.

“What's this?” Stiles asked, picking up a stuffed giraffe. He momentarily wondered where the fuck she even found such a cool stuffed animal.

“A mountain lion.” Lydia smirked dazed before passing out. Stiles sighed before tucking her in and grabbing her phone as it buzzed. He froze as he accidentally pressed play on the phone video and footage of the alpha began to play.

~~~

Derek was training. If he wanted to be able to take down the alpha then he needed to be stronger. He’d never been the strongest in his family, hell even his little sister was stronger than him. He had plenty of muscle but he wasn’t very good at fighting. Laura had refused to train him and the New York pack was full of hipsters and pacifists. He’d been alternating between pull ups and push-ups at his burned down house, for added motivation when he caught the scent of gunpowder.

“He wants us to wait.” A male voice droned from the edge of the forest.

“So I've been reminded-to death.” A female voice hissed. Derek growled low in his throat at the sound of that bitch’s voice, and sunk into the shadows.  
“And that means we're not allowed to kill him.” A younger male voice murmured.

“But it doesn't mean we can't say hello.” Derek had no doubt that Kate’s version of hello was not pleasant. He heard the door slam open, ricocheting off the wall and slamming closed again.

“No one home.” The young man frowned as they entered the main room.

“Oh, he's here. He's just not feeling particularly hospitable.” Derek could feel the sarcasm oozing out of her think honey like voice. He couldn’t believe that he’d ever loved her.

“Maybe he's out burying a bone in the backyard.” Derek rolled his eyes and leaned against the door. That kid was obviously new to this.

“Really? A dog joke? We're going there, and that's the best you got? If you wanna provoke him, say something like, ‘Too bad your sister 'bit it' before she had her first litter.’ ‘Too bad she howled like a bitch when we cut her in half!’” Dog jokes, Derek could handle. Jokes about Laura. No fucking way. He roared and charged into the room, knocking away the male hunters. Kate snorted derisively and hit him with an electrical rod.

Derek fell to the floor, body spasming in reaction to the electricity. He grit his teeth as he glared up at the bitch that had ruined his life.

“This one grew up in all the right places.” Kate smirked, walking around him in circles. “I don't know whether to kill it or-lick it.”

~~~

“Hey, it's me again. Look, I found something, and I don't know what to do, okay? So if you could turn your fucking phone on right now, that'd be great.” Stiles growled into his phone. Derek wasn’t answering his fucking phone and Stiles was beyond pissed. “Or else I'll kill you. Do you understand me? I'm gonna kill you. And I'm too fucking upset to come up with a witty description about how exactly I'm gonna kill you, but I'm just gonna fucking do it, okay? I'm gonna—ugh!” Stiles growled, glancing out his window as his dad pulled in. “Goodbye. God.” Stiles pressed furiously on the end call button.

“Please tell me I'm gonna hear good news at this parent/teacher thing tonight.” His dad asked from the doorway as Stiles stood in front of his window with his arms folded and glared into the abyss.

“Depends on how you define ‘good news.’” Stiles smirked, turning on the charm as he turned to face his father.

“I define it as you getting straight A's with no behavioral issues.”

“You might wanna rethink that definition.” Stiles clicked a finger gun at his dad and turned back to the window.

“'Nuff said.” John sighed before turning to go. He paused as he head Stiles whispering to himself:

“Come on, Derek. Where the hell are you?”

~~~

“900,000 volts. You never were good with electricity, were you?” Kate sneered. Derek glared up at her. “Or fire. Which is why I'm gonna let you in on a little secret. And, well, maybe we can help each other out. Yes, your sister was severed into pieces and used as bait to try to catch you. Unpleasant, and frankly, a little too Texas chainsaw massacre for my taste, but quite true. Now, here's the part that might really kick you in your balls-We didn't kill her.” Derek gasped and struggled into a sitting position. “You think I'm lying?”

“Wouldn't be the first time.” Derek grit out, still fighting the lingering electricity, thinking back to all the times she told him she loved him.

“Tsk, sweetie - Well - Why don't you just listen to my heart and tell me if I am. Okay? We-didn't-kill-your-sister.” She whispered in his ear. “Do you hear that? There's no blips or upticks. Just the steady beat of the cold, hard truth. Found bite marks on your sister's body, Derek. What do you think did that? A mountain lion?” She sneered, getting up and walking away only to turn to look at him. “Why aren't we helping each other out? You might as well admit what you've been guessing all along, which is-The Alpha killed your sister. And all you have to do is tell us who he is, and we'll take care of it for you. Problem solved, everybody goes home happy.” Derek frowned and looked down, shuddering. “Unless-You don't know who he is either. Wow. Guess who just became totally useless?” Derek braced himself.

Kate turned and pulled out a gun before turning back, pulling the trigger. But Derek was already gone, racing out of the house and across the patio into the woods. He had to get home. Had to get back to pack. Back to Stiles. Away from Kate's toxic personality.


	6. The Tell Pt. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's another animal attack, this time witnessed by Jackson and Lydia, raising more questions about wild animals. Meanwhile, Scott and Allison skip school and Derek must deal with the werewolf hunters on his own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter still takes place during this version of the episode The Tell, but it felt wrong to stick it with the rest of it. So heres a tiny filler chapter.

Stiles woke from his unexpected nap with a start, looking around in confusion as to what had woken him. He gingerly pulled his head up, off his desk and blinked at the darkening night sky. Harsh breaths from the next room had him up out of his bed and in Derek’s room in an instant. Derek was sitting on the floor by the window, arms crossed over his bare chest and panting heavily. His eyes were squeezed closed and he kept hitting his head back against the wall.

“Where the hell have you been?!” Stiles snapped. “I’ve been worried out of my freaking mind!” Derek sighed but didn’t open his eyes. Stiles opened his mouth to yell once more but was cut off when Derek let out a pitiful whine Stiles dropped to his knees in front of the older wolf and gently placed a hand on his knee. Derek flinched automatically and then opened his eyes to stare pitifully at Stiles. “What happened Der?” Stiles whispered, reaching forward to stroke Derek’s cheek.

“Kate.” Derek chocked out, closing his eyes and leaning into Stiles’ touch. Stiles felt rage bubbling up inside of himself just at the mere mention of that bitch’s name.

“What happened?” He hissed out, wiggling his way onto Derek’s lap and sliding his arms around the man’s bare torso. Derek hesitated before wrapping his arms around the boy and burrowing his face into Stiles’ neck.

“I was at my house training and she showed up with some other hunters.” Stiles bristled as Derek murmured the words into his pale skin. “She-she said some things about-about Laura.” Derek shuddered. Stiles hissed and held him tighter. “I lost it. I just attacked them without even thinking about it and…she got the drop on me. I was too angry to think clearly.” Stiles shushed him and ran a hand through Derek’s hair soothingly.

“Then what?”

“She taunted me. Reminded me of what happened to my family…because of her. Because of us.” Derek shuddered again and gripped Stiles tighter than was comfortable.

“What happened Der? You’ve told me that you and she dated and that she killed them but I don’t understand why.”

“Neither do I, not really.” Derek sighed, pulling back to look at Stiles. “I was…vulnerable and she took advantage of that. She turned me against my family and I was…completely dependent on her. I loved her.” Stiles cringed. “I was sixteen and she was twenty three.” Derek whispered. Stiles paled, finally understanding why exactly Derek refused to let anything happen between them. Stiles was sixteen and Derek was twenty three now. “I told her everything. All of my secrets, I told her what I was and what my family was. I told her our weaknesses, I took her to the house when it was empty…and I never told my family about her. And they died because of it.”

“Derek-”

“She trapped them in the house and burned it down around them.” Stiles shivered as Derek buried his face in the crook of his neck again. Derek whimpered and rubbed his face back and forth to comfort himself.

“I’ll kill her.” Stiles vowed, rubbing Derek’s back. Derek chuckled and pulled back looking at the stubble burn fading on Stiles’ neck. He touched it gently, smile pulling at his lips.

“Sorry.” He smirked, unrepentant. Stiles recognized a change in topic when he saw one.

“Wanna see something cool that I learned to do?” Stiles smirked, pulling back further and squeezing his eyes shut in concentration. Derek watched on, curious as to what the heck Stiles was doing. He finally realized, after a moment, that the stubble burn had stopped fading away and was now there in full force.

“What?” He gaped, running his hand over the red marks on Stiles’ neck.

“The other day you mentioned that we could control our scent, and obviously I can’t do that because I’m essentially a puppy but it got me wondering about what else we could control. Turns out healing is one of them.” Stiles smirked, showing him some red scars on his wrists. As Derek watched the scars faded one by one.

“You can control it?” Derek gaped in shock.

“Yup! It took a while. It was like looking for a light switch and turning it off.” Stiles beamed before getting serious. “This way if I get roughed up on the lacrosse field and everyone sees it…I don’t have to find an explanation for why the injury is gone in point five seconds.” Derek smiled up at him, amazed at the young wolf’s control. “Do you know what else it mean?” Stiles smirked. Derek shook his head. “If you were to…say leave a hickey on my neck right now, it wouldn’t disappear. And I know that marking is a very real thing for wolves.”

Stiles smirked as Derek’s eyes darkened and latched onto the pale expanse of Stiles’ neck. He made a pained, wolf-like noise in the back of his throat and looked at Stiles pleadingly.

“Hey, come one Der, we aren’t you and Kate. This, between us-” Stiles gestured between their hearts, “It’s real. And besides, we’re both wolves you can tell if I’m lying or not. There are no secrets here.” Stiles smiled. “I’m not going to go psycho bitch on you and I highly doubt you’d kill my dad. The old man adores you and you adore him too, I can tell.” Derek smiled before surging forward to claim Stiles lips.

Stiles let out a triumphant moan and returned the kiss with gusto. Derek fisted a hand in Stiles’ shirt and pulled him in, opening the boy’s mouth for his tongue. Stiles whimpered and scratched at Derek’s shoulders, trying to get purchase on the slick skin. Derek pulled back with a loud gasp and Stiles smirked.

“Finally.” Derek smirked and rolled his eyes before reattaching his mouth to Stiles’ neck. Stiles whimpered as he felt Derek’s teeth elongate and scrape against the rapidly forming bruise.

“Mine.” Derek whispered, pulling back to admire the bruise. Stiles hummed in agreement before swearing in shock as the door downstairs opened and voices floated up to them. “Argents.” Derek hissed angrily. Stiles snarled slightly.

“Stiles get your ass down here and help!” Melissa McCall’s voice echoed up to him. Confused and more than a little curious, Stiles hauled himself off of Derek and into the hallway. Derek followed at a more sedate pace, smirking at the sight of Stiles’ mussed hair, disheveled clothes and bruised neck. He forgot he wasn’t wearing a shirt until it was too late and he was standing in the Stilinski’s living room facing down three Argents, two McCalls and one very weary looing Sherriff.

Chris Argent and Scott McCall were supporting the Sherriff’s weight and Stiles immediately went on red alert.

“What happened?” He shrieked, launching forward to help them get his father into a chair in the kitchen.

“I got hit by a car, no big deal.” John groaned, clutching at his ribs. Derek’s eyes swiveled to the Argents who scowled at him in annoyance. Predictably, Stiles was freaking out.

“No big deal?! No big deal?! Are you kidding me right now!” The boy screeched. “What happened?” He turned to Melissa who was gently pressing an icepack to the Sherriff’s shoulder.

“There was a mountain lion running around the parking lot after parent/teacher conferences.” She murmured. “People were panicking. Your dad walked behind a car as it backed out.” John shot her a scathing look for ratting him out.

“Dad.” Stiles choked out. Allison looked at Scott in worry and Derek was glad that at least she seemed to genuinely care for him. “Please be more careful. I already lost mom, I can’t lose you too.” John winced and looked at his son only to notice the glaring hickey on the boy’s neck. He raised an eyebrow and looked between Stiles and Derek meaningfully. Derek blushed and looked away and Stiles smirked. Chris and Victoria shared a look and Allison smirked. Scott looked green.

“I will never walk in on you two, got it? And nothing goes on between you two while I’m home.” John said meaningfully, pointing a finger at both of them.

“Yes sir!” They chorused. John nodded and sniffed disdainfully before turning to the Argents. 

“Thank you for taking me home. You didn’t have to do that.” He dismissed their protests and then turned to Chris. “Thank you for shooting the mountain lion, probably saved a lot of people from panic.”

Scott caught Stiles eye and shuddered. Stiles had no doubt that the boy was concerned about the fact that Chris just happened to have taken a gun with him to parent/teacher conferences. Derek sent one last glance at Stiles before leading the Argents out of the house. Victoria dragged Allison along behind her, muttering about grounding her for skipping school.

“You might wanna keep an eye on that sister of yours.” Derek said casually watching them as Chris stopped beside him.

“What does that mean?” Chris sneered.

“I take it you didn’t send her to attack me with a cattle prod today?” Derek raised an eyebrow. Chris paled. “And it seems like her trying to shoot me goes against your code.” Derek was sneering now. “Kate is a monster Chris, get a hold on her.” He snapped before entering the house and closing the door behind him.

Chris frowned and headed down towards his car, worrying about his sister.


	7. Not an Update!

This is not an update. This is me informing you that this work is being rewritten. All mistakes will be fixed in the grammar and in the plot. Chapters 1-6 have been re-written and 7-13 will be uploaded by Feb 15th at the absolute latest.


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